I'm getting hooked on this show

klmno

Active Member
Has anyone seen Last Shot with Judge Gunn? This show is great!

Although, it really gave me the wakeup call about how juvie csu works around here and why I can't buy into it. It's sure not like this show!
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Its not on any local channels on my cable. I can check out the web episodes though. I do like all the court shows on tv during the day. Peoples Court, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Judy. I have lived with them for years.
 

klmno

Active Member
I was just looking at the website. It comes on in the middle of the day around here- it's not like lock-up. It's a drug court by a judge who apparently had one of the best success rates before retiring to do this. She's probably making more people aware of the realities this way. The head drug counselor has 27 years sobriety for her own addiction. Here's the link-

Last Shot With Judge Gunn | When our loved ones just can't say no…there is one Last Shot

I think this show is on a littel higher level than some of the other court shows.

They make a person commit everything in his/her life (not money) to go thru this to avoid jail or prison time, but the participants are people who asked for this- not court-ordered to the program, which I think makes a huge difference.

My light bulb moment was realizing that juvie csu around here works this way- they expect the whole family to commit and revolve everything in their lives around whatever PO says he wants the kid to get for services, and not seek out or participate in anything else. Not just drug related cases- ALL cases. Oh- that made me wake up to their outlook. The problem is that I can never view a PO has being an expert on what services or provisions a delinquent should get for all situations. And obviously, they don't have expert providers (I guess around here we're lucky if they have any experience even working with a fmaily before they are hired as providers). And when it comes to behavior mod, I see the behavior as a result not the cause- like addiction, MH, whatever would be causes. Of course, a single, all-inclusive treatment plan makes perfect sense for substance abuse, MH, etc. I just can never believe that following a behavior conract is going to solve difficult child's problems without other things being addressed. That's a side-note, I guess....

As far as this show though, it's not so much the typical format of it that keeps me watching- it's the common sense of this judge and others and the way they can convey that while still being supportive and firm with these participants.

Do you get either WAUG or WMYT?
 
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DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
no. I can watch it on the computer though. Some of the shows like Judge Mathis offer some stuff on the side. I have heard him do that on occasion. Now I have to say that personally if a family really wants things to happen they can normally get things to happen. At least I have found that to be the case. Maybe I live in a really good place. I wouldnt think I did though. We are a very backwards county. School system sucks. But I was able to work with Cory's adult PO very well. Now the juvenile one was idiotic but the people in the juvenile system were good. It was just the one PO that wasnt good. He was just putting in his time till retirement. I worked around him. I knew people who knew people. Working for the county helped. And hurt...god the embarrassment! Still I was able to know how to pull strings in all the separate agencies to get what I needed to get the proper help...the fact that he didnt use it is beside the point. In the end, I had to let it all go and let him fall on his face until the giant PO came to my rescue and set Cory straight. Then we worked together and it seems to be working out.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Haven't seen the show but we did have ONE Judge who was thoughtful. He was primarily a family court Judge and I admired that he always politely turned to the parents and in "normal language" asked them "Do you fully understand what was suggested for your child? Do you have any questions or comments that you want to make for my consideration?" Often the parents were not sophisticated (some were not fully bilingual etc) but he did not let "the State" dominate his courtroom. He is/was a caring person.

There is honestly not one Judge in our county who deals with young adults who does anything but rubber stamp "the State" recommendations. The decisions are capricious and often ruins lives with the Defendant's representation being almost non-existent. I'll keep my eyes open for the show. DDD
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
DDD, we had a judge like that at one point...the rubber stamp guy. At least he was...until something happened to him in his life. He was mr. no nonsense, hang em high judge until he got divorced...lol. Suddenly he became the most caring and thoughtful judge we have. What happened? He ended up on the wrong end of a nasty divorce judge with a bad divorce settlement and child support order. He found out what it was like to be at the mercy of the courts. Now he actually talks to defendants and thinks about what he is doing. He is strict but he takes into account circumstances.
 

klmno

Active Member
They have a good team so although the judge is knowledgable and balanced in approach, they have almost an ideal team- there is a state's attny there, a def attny, and a PO, along with the 'head' of the drug program- these people are always the same people, at least any time I've seen the show. But instead of them fighting against each other, they are all looking at whether or not 'something' would help in the recovery process or if the person is doing well or not. No one- not even the judge- takes over the drug program itself or the recommendations from the drug program. To me, this is the way it's supposed to work. And I really have a hard time understanding why this approach can't be modified to try to help juveniles better, even if their issue isn't addiction.

I guess it's partly due to not really having a tried-and-true method for it. I know they say MST is but frankly, most jurisdictions that use that don't have a very good succeess rate so I don't know how long they can keep up their claim to 'evidence based therapy'.

Now where it falls apart here is that the PO decides everything, not a case manager or experienced person in MH, whatever. And that PO is not that experienced or knowledgable (juvie csu doesn't get the most experienced or educated, usually), then the case manager or any providers are as described on my thread in General. If a parent says they can and will get a more qualified provider on board, too bad- unless PO approves it and then PO tells the provider what to work on or whatever. The parent has to sign consent and release forms to allow this.

So first- you have a PO deciding what the problem is or what treatment is needed- never mind that POs aren't MH profs, substance abuse screeners, etc
Second, you have the least qualified (and that term is used loosely) providers ordered
Third, the focus isn't on what is working or what might help- the focus is on the PO always being reassured that everyone is doing what he/she ordered; if it doesn't work, the kid is recommitted; they will tell you they will alter the plan if it isn't working but in any of the years I've been involved with difficult child in this, the only 'modification' to the plan was to incarcerate him
Fourth-even when the parent has something better lined up, they have to stick to whatever PO says- including the provider- reminder- the focus on delinquents stays on ensuring the family/kid ALWAYS does what PO says, there aren't conversations about what is in the kid's best interest-in their monds, the issue is 'compliance' so it's all about being compliant even when the decisions are stupid and useless and make matters worse; once you've proven that, the 'treatment' is stopped

As I have been told- if PO orders family therapy, we get whomever he has sent to the home- and that won't even be a licensed MH prof and it will be a person who uses that same stupid form and the 'goal' will be whatever PO says to work on. I can go tell PO that I can take us to a licensed psychiatric and I probably will not be allowed to. Now in my cynical mind, I tend to think that's partly because no licensed, ethical MH prof is going to let any 3rd party dictate what they are addressing in family therapy with clients.
 
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