11252002 - News Article - Schererville court steps up anti-drunken driving message - ROBERT CANTRELL

Schererville court steps up anti-drunken driving message
NWI Times
Nov 25, 2002
nwitimes.com/news/local/s-ville-court-steps-up-anti-drunken-driving-message/article_4f033d2b-b557-5165-9d40-21d4ce8e9ead.html
SCHERERVILLE -- Town Court Judge Deborah Riga sees drunken driving offenders come through her court on a weekly basis. But when her young neighbor, 20-year-old Marcus Szczepanski, was killed in an alcohol-related accident earlier this month, the impact of drunken driving hit home for Riga more than ever.

As a result of Szczepanski's death, Riga said she plans to heighten her already tough stance against drinking and driving.

"It's shocking," she said. "It's not someone you don't know. It can be your neighbor, your relative, your child or your spouse."

Riga said Szczepanski grew up alongside her own children and was known to be a responsible young adult who was very much against drinking and driving.

"With his friends, he was totally against it," she said. "He would never tolerate it."

Szczepanski was killed in a one-car accident in rural White County near Wolcott on Nov. 2 after his truck rolled about five times at the intersection of U.S. 231 and County Road 850 West, according to the Indiana State Police.

He had apparently come from an event where he had been drinking, Riga said.

Riga plans to request from the Schererville Town Council a proclamation declaring December "Drinking and Driving Prevention Awareness Month" and said she hopes to place a public service announcement on a billboard in town as soon as it can be arranged.

Another program that has stemmed from Szczepanski's death is the placement of anti-drunken driving stickers on local gas pumps. Riga said she has obtained permission from many local gas station owners for this project and the stickers will be appearing shortly.

Riga also has paid tribute to Szczepanski's life on the front of her Crossroads program brochures, placing his name and dates of birth and death on a gold star. Coincidentally, the stars were already on the brochures before his death, and it seems fitting to honor him in this way, as his family always referred to Szczepanski as "their shining star," Riga said.

The Crossroads program, established in 2001, is a monthly curriculum sponsored by the Schererville Town Court aimed to help young, first-time offenders guilty of alcohol, tobacco and drug violations.

The goal of the program, according to Riga, is to prevent drunken driving reoccurrences and to show the participants the consequences of their actions. Aimed at offenders ages 18 to 22, Crossroads meets once a month on a Saturday. Victims and family members of victims killed or injured in alcohol-related accidents share their stories with the offenders in a "victim impact segment" of the program.

Szczepanski's older sister, Alison, who was very close with her brother, plans to speak at the January meeting.

Riga said she admires the Szczepanski family's generosity in sharing their anguish to help others.

"To reach at least one person and instill in them the consequences that can never be reversed helps to give some sense to a horrible tragedy," she said.

06302002 - News Article - U.S. attorney launches assault on corruption - Nineteen investigators assigned to nab crooked Lake County politicians - ROBERT CANTRELL

U.S. attorney launches assault on corruption 
Nineteen investigators assigned to nab crooked Lake County politicians
Post-Tribune (IN)
June 30, 2002
There is nothing wrong with feeding at the public trough.

Just don't overeat as Lake County Auditor Peter Benjamin and County Councilman Troy Montgomery were accused of doing last week.

Big Brother is watching with renewed interest.

Former U.S. Attorney James Richmond started the Operation Lights Out investigation into public corruption in the 1980s.

Three county commissioners, the county assessor and others went to prison.

When President Clinton took office and Jon DeGuilio was named the local U.S. attorney, the crackdown on corruption slowed.

With President Bush in the White House and Joseph Van Bokkelen in the U.S. attorney's office, the pendulum has swung back.

"A principal effort of what I am doing here is public corruption," Van Bokkelen said. "It has come back onto the front burner."

Van Bokkelen, however, isn't saying DeGuilio turned his back on public corruption.

"When (indictments) happen, it sort of slows (corruption) down," Van Bokkelen said. "These things seem to cycle around a little bit.

"Also, with the Clinton administration, there were other priorities out there, particularly the drug issue. Even local priorities change based on the national administration."

Van Bokkelen has moved swiftly. Since taking over last year, Gary city Clerk Katie Hall and her daughter, Junifer Hall, were indicted on public corruption charges.

That was followed up last week with the Benjamin and Montgomery indictments on public corruption charges.

There is more on the way.

"We have any number of public corruption investigations ongoing," First Assistant U.S. Attorney David Capp said last week.

The investigators also have the resources.

At last week's indictment news conference, it was announced there are 19 investigators from the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI and the Indiana State Police assigned full time to public corruption cases.

"Business as usual is no longer an excuse to prey on the citizens of this county," said FBI special agent Ted Wasky.

If Van Bokkelen is correct and public corruption is cyclical, Purdue University Calumet political science professor Maurice Eisenstein said the people let it happen.

"It is accepted as part of the government," Eisenstein said. "(Corruption) has become institutionalized. It is part of how you get elected, part of how you stay in power."

The renewed emphasis on public corruption with a Republican in the U.S. attorney's office says something but isn't the only answer, Eisenstein said.

"What the difference is is the party organization in Lake County," he said. "It is dominated by the Democratic Party that has been in control of most public offices that lend themselves to that kind of corruption. People stay until they die in office."

While Eisenstein said Chicago Democrats aren't immune from corruption, there is also a commitment to making the city work.

"There is not that kind of commitment here," he said.

What particularly bothers Eisenstein about public corruption in Lake County is the economic impact.

"It has so permeated this county, it is the largest block to economic development," Eisenstein said. "Corruption has kept businesses out of here. The smoke screen is that high taxes keep people from coming here.

"Corruption is very debilitating when you have to pay people for connections. The tax thing is the biggest lie put on the people of Northwest Indiana."

06122002 - News Article - Lake County Public corruption - ROBERT CANTRELL

Lake County Public corruption
Post-Tribune (IN)
June 12, 2002
Lake County has a storied history of elected officials being convicted on various charges involving public corruption. These are some of the most memorable cases:

1961
Following a U.S. Senate investigation into organized crime's link to public corruption, Lake County Prosecutor Metro Holovachka is sentenced to three years for evading income taxes.

1963
Gary Mayor George Chacharis falls victim to the same investigation and gets three years for tax evasion.

Early 1970s
East Chicago Mayor John Nicosia is convicted for his role in a city sewer construction scandal.

Early 1980s
Operation Bar-Tab investigates the fixing of drunken-driving tickets. The probe leads to a host of convictions, including those of County Division Judges Orval Anderson and Steven Bielak and county Clerk Edward Lukawski.

1985
When former County Commissioner and Sheriff Rudy Bartolomei pleaded guilty to racketeering, they claim kickbacks are involved in 85 percent of all contracts handled by county commissioners. Bartolomei turns government witness and enters the federal witness protection program. His testimony brings down several public officials.

1993
Gary City Councilman Clemmons Allen is sentenced to 18 months for providing protection to bar owners in exchange for the purchase of fund-raising tickets.

1998
Gary City Councilman Gerald Hayes is convicted of taking kickbacks on landfill contracts.

2002
Lake Station Councilwoman Roseann Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced this month for misuse of public funds.

05212002 - News Article - The politics of the bidding process - The issue: Health care for jailed inmates

The politics of the bidding process
The issue: Health care for jailed inmates
NWI Times
May 21, 2002
nwitimes.com/uncategorized/the-politics-of-the-bidding-process/article_fa457167-1fa9-56b8-a746-77f4d5e1966.html
Our opinion: Lake County commissioners are to be commended for seeking bids on health services for the jail inmates. They must keep a wary eye on the process so politics doesn't get in the way.

It should be a no-brainer that providing health care for inmates at the Lake County Jail should be awarded through a competitive bidding process. And the county commissioners are doing just that -- opening the health services contracts to bidding. That is prudent policy when public money is at stake.

However, because it is Lake County, the political machinations are already in play and could negate that prudence, giving new meaning to the term "award."

The Southlake Center for Mental Health in Merrillville has been providing health care for jail inmates for 20 years. Now, it seems requests from competing agencies prompted the commissioners to open to bidding that lucrative service -- currently about $1.6 million a year.

Political insiders, it seems, are behind some of those competing agencies. That should be cause for caution on the part of the county commissioners.

For example, Robert Cantrell, East Chicago's chairman of that city's nominal Republican Party, and Lee Christakis, a Merrillville lawyer, hope to profit, according to a story by Times reporter Bill Dolan in Sunday's paper.

Cantrell lobbied commissioners on behalf of Nancy Fromm, who runs Addiction and Family Services as an unpaid consultant.

"He will get paid if we get (the contract)," she said.

Even more egregious is the rationale from Christakis for his lobbying efforts. He said he urged Prison Health Services of Nashville to bid on the contract with the hope it would generate business for his wife's temp service, Nur-Staff Inc. of Merrillville. He also said he tried to get Southlake, the current health care provider, to use his wife's business in the county jail.

But, he said, Southlake "used us for 15 to 20 shifts, but that was all. So I started telling PHS (the Nashville firm), why don't you guys bid the jail contract? I'm hoping if (Prison Health Services) gets it, they will remember me for temp service."

What audacity. Shame on him.

Yes, the commissioners are to be commended for seeking bids on health services for the jail inmates. They must be diligent in vetting those bids, however.

Commissioner Frances DuPey, D-Hammond, says she is keeping a wary eye on this entire process. Good -- a wary, careful, open eyes is necessary here. After all, this is Lake County we're talking about.

05192002 - News Article - U.S. attorney says fighting corruption a top priority - Van Bokkelen says FBI-backed task force is investigating others in NWI - ROBERT CANTRELL

U.S. attorney says fighting corruption a top priority 
Van Bokkelen says FBI-backed task force is investigating others in NWI
Post-Tribune (IN)
May 19, 2002
It was the first news conference for U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen since he was appointed to the job by President Bush last year.

And perhaps the most momentous news conference in Lake County in years.

Announcing Friday's federal indictment of Gary city Clerk Katie Hall -- and her daughter, Chief Deputy Clerk Junifer Hall -- Van Bokkelen warned the indictments should put all public officials on notice.

With 22 charges leveled against the two, ranging from racketeering to perjury, he said

his office won't stop with just one corruption indictment, if more are to be had.

With an FBI-backed public-corruption task force operating in Northwest Indiana, he said he won't hesitate to prosecute others when there is proof of illegal activity.

"The vast majority of public officials do their jobs legally and in the best interest of the public," Van Bokkelen said. "But for those who choose to do otherwise, make no mistake: This office will seek them out and prosecute them."

The public-corruption task force, he said, is heavily modeled after the 1980s "Operation Lights Out" effort that nabbed several of Lake County's public officials then.

Van Bokkelen said he and his first assistant, David Capp, are familiar with that case and that this task force is modeled after that initiative.

When pressed, Van Bokkelen wouldn't say how many other public officials are now under investigation by the public-corruption task force.

But agents are known to be working in East Chicago, trying to determine the basis for personal concrete and paving work apparently done at taxpayer expense for select residents.

And the Post-Tribune has learned agents were investigating the activities of Calumet Township Trustee Dozier T. Allen, just weeks before he was voted out of office.

Hall's indictment is the first to come out of a task force formed 18 months ago.

Van Bokkelen said the investigation of Hall started after he read a story in the Post-Tribune, in which some of Hall's employees told how they are forced to contribute to her political campaigns or risk disciplinary action or termination.

"The message in (Hall's) indictment is that no level of public corruption can be tolerated by this office," he said.

Robert Reilley, special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis office, implored members of the public to tip agents to any proof they have of illegal activities being carried out by any of Northwest Indiana's elected officials.

The task force, based in Merrillville, will check out any solid leads, he said.

Hall's employees told their stories of coercion to the Post-Tribune and then told it to the grand jury, leading to the indictment of the Halls.

Katie Hall is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, three counts of extortion and three counts of mail fraud.

Junifer Hall is charged with the same crimes, along with six counts of perjury.

"If we receive allegations of what we consider to be public corruption, we will take it seriously," Van Bokkelen said.

05192002 - News Article - U.S. Attorney puts officials on notice about corruption - Van Bokkelen says FBI-backed task force is investigating others - ROBERT CANTRELL

U.S. Attorney puts officials on notice about corruption 
Van Bokkelen says FBI-backed task force is investigating others
Post-Tribune (IN)
May 19, 2002
It was the first news conference for U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen since he was appointed to the job by President Bush last year.

And perhaps the most momentous news conference in Lake County in years.

Announcing Friday's federal indictment of Gary city Clerk Katie Hall -- and her daughter, Chief Deputy Clerk Junifer Hall -- Van Bokkelen warned the indictments should put all public officials on notice.

With 22 charges leveled against the two, ranging from racketeering to perjury, he said his office won't stop with just one corruption indictment, if more are to be had.

With an FBI-backed public-corruption task force operating in Northwest Indiana, he said he won't hesitate to prosecute others when there is proof of illegal activity.

"The vast majority of public officials do their jobs legally and in the best interest of the public," Van Bokkelen said. "But for those who choose to do otherwise, make no mistake: This office will seek them out and prosecute them."

The public-corruption task force, he said, is heavily modeled after the 1980s "Operation Lights Out" effort that nabbed several of Lake County's public officials then.

Van Bokkelen and his first assistant, David Capp, are well-versed in that case and the federal attorney said "this task force is very much modeled after that initiative."

When pressed, Van Bokkelen wouldn't respond as to how many other public officials are now under investigation by the public-corruption task force.

But agents are known to be working in East Chicago, trying to determine the basis for personal concrete and paving work apparently done at taxpayer expense for select residents.

And the Post-Tribune has learned agents were investigating the activities of Calumet Township Trustee Dozier T. Allen, just weeks before he was voted out of office.

But Van Bokkelen wouldn't discuss pending inquiries.

Hall's indictment is the first to come out of a task force formed 18 months ago.

Van Bokkelen said the investigation of Hall started after he read a story in the Post-Tribune, in which some of Hall's employees detailed how they are forced to contribute to her political campaigns or risk disciplinary action or termination.

That led to the empaneling of a grand jury, to which investigators presented boxes of evidence and hours of testimony.

The work was swift, he admitted, and other cases might not wrap up as quickly.

But, Van Bokkelen said, that doesn't mean investigators aren't working on other cases.

"The message in (Hall's) indictment is that no level of public corruption can be tolerated by this office," he said.

Robert Reilley, special agent in charge of the FBI's Indianapolis office, implored members of the public to tip agents to any proof they have of illegal activities being carried out by any of Northwest Indiana's elected officials.

The task force, based in Merrillville, will check out any solid leads, he said.

Hall's employees told their stories of coercion to the Post-Tribune and then told it to the grand jury, leading to the indictment of the Halls.

Katie Hall is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, three counts of extortion and three counts of mail fraud.

Junifer Hall is charged with the same crimes, along with six counts of perjury.

The charges could mean long prison terms for both.

More important to Van Bokkelen, however, is the message the charges send.

"If we receive allegations of what we consider to be public corruption, we will take it seriously," he said. "Anything that seems to have a basis (of truth) we'll investigate it."

05192002 - News Article - Jail contracts attract politically connected bidders - County officials think it may be time for a change in health care providers for inmates - ROBERT CANTRELL

Jail contracts attract politically connected bidders
County officials think it may be time for a change in health care providers for inmates
NWI Times
May 19, 2002
nwitimes.com/uncategorized/jail-contracts-attract-politically-connected-bidders/article_ab3149d4-1ef9-5379-94c2-895db1ebf607.html
CROWN POINT -- After providing 20 years of health care for inmates at the Lake County Jail, Southlake Center for Mental Health in Merrillville may face competition. County commissioners, responding to requests from competing agencies, have decided to open up the health service contracts to bidding.

The 57-bed medical facility at 93rd Avenue and Main Street doesn't put its clientele on the cutting edge of health care technology, but it provides basic health care to a captive audience.

Thousands of men and women awaiting trial on criminal charges have been treated for physical and mental ailments by the medical staff on the fourth floor of the Lake County Jail since it opened two decades ago. The current cost of treatment is about $1.6 million a year.

Southlake Center is only one of three providers of health care to jails in the state to win accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. Still, county commissioners have decided to consider competing bids.

The process could be fraught with legal difficulties for the county, however, which has lived under the threat of federal penalties since the 1980s when health services in the lockup dropped to dangerous levels for inmates. U.S. District Court judges in Hammond took over the jail's operation and installed Southlake to bring health care up to acceptable standards.

Local officials regained control over the jail in 1997 when federal Judge Rudy Lozano lifted the mandate, but commissioners have been wary about making changes.

Political ties
Three agencies have responded with interest to the commissioners' decision to open the contracts again. They are Addiction and Family Services, a Hammond drug and alcohol counseling service; Edgewater Systems for Balanced Living in Gary; and Prison Health Services, a Nashville-based firm servicing 400 jails and prisons across the country.

Political insiders Bobby Cantrell, East Chicago Republican chairman, and Lee Christakis, a Merrillville lawyer, also hope to profit from the initiative.

Cantrell and Christakis recently urged commissioners to end Southlake's monopoly.

Nancy Fromm, who runs Addiction and Family Services, said Cantrell lobbied commissioners on her behalf as an unpaid consultant.

"He will get paid if we get (the contract)," she said.

Cantrell couldn't be reached for comment.

Fromm said, "It's just been given to Southlake, and every year (the cost) has increased."

Commissioners recently advertised two contracts. The first is to provide medical, dental, dietary and mental health services for the County Jail, which will have an inmate population of more than 850 next month when the Gary City Jail transfers its residents here.

Lee Strawhun, president of Southlake, said his center has provided quality health services and has bid to continue doing so.

No spokesman for Edgewater, formerly known as Gary Community Mental Health Center, could be reached for comment.

The second contract would provide alcohol and drug abuse rehabilitation for inmates. Fromm bid to do the drug contract for $200,000. Southlake, which has provided only minimal substance abuse counseling, is not bidding on that contract.

Commissioners chose to step back last week and hold a pre-bid meeting with potential vendors Wednesday to clarify what standards must be met to win the contracts. That may give Nashville's Prison Health Services an opportunity to join the contest, Merrillville lawyer Christakis said.

Christakis said he urged Prison Health Service to bid on the contract in the hopes of getting some business for his wife's temp service, Nur-Staff Inc. of Merrillville.

He said Prison Health Services, which services all Indiana state prisons, has contracted with his wife in the past to provide temporary health care workers for the Westville Correctional Center in LaPorte County.

"I don't think U.S. Judge Rudy Lozano ever intended to close off the County Jail contract to everyone else, including minority vendors," Christakis said.

He said he also tried to get Southlake to use his wife's temp service in the County Jail.

"Strawhun used us for 15 to 20 shifts, but that was all. So I started telling PHS why don't you guys bid the jail contract? I'm hoping if (Prison Health Services) gets it, they will remember me for temp service."

A spokesman for Prison Health Services said last week the firm is looking at the County Jail but has made no decision on whether to bid on the contract.

Strawhun said he doesn't oppose competing with others for the jail contract.

"It is prudent public administration to periodically bid these contracts," he said. "That is hard to argue with."

Southlake's current contract
Southlake's Strawhun said the contract was put up for bid about six years ago.

"We were not the low bidder. The other firms were national for-profit entities, and they were remarkably lower. However, one of the firms said they would provide 24-hour medical coverage through a 1-800 number where they would have a medical doctor in another state who would respond."

He said Ivan Bodensteiner, who represented inmates in the court mandate over the jail, put the county on notice he would seek court sanctions if health care services declined.

"They sent the contract out a second time with modification, and we were the second-lowest bidder, but only modestly so. They decided to continue the contract with us.

"Faces changed again and institutional memories were lost, and there has been this call again. What is prompting it is that commissioners received advice unsolicited from the Fromm group," Strawhun said.

Fromm said her firm has provided substance abuse counseling to Lake Superior Court, County Division, and several city courts. For a time she was serving County Jail inmates, serving short sentences for minor crimes, at County Sheriff John Buncich's adjacent work-release center.

Fromm said, "I had the work-release (service contract). I approached John Buncich and worked for a year, basically free. If they could pay $5 they did, and if they couldn't, they didn't have to.

"Then we went to the commissioners about three or four years ago in 1997, and we said, 'Can you pay for these guys?' They did, but then politics happened and we got thrown out, and Wayne Isailovich (partner and counselor at Addiction and Behavioral Counseling Services in Merrillville) got put in."

Buncich couldn't be reached for comment. Isailovich confirmed his company serves the work-release center. He declined to address Fromm's comments.

Strawhun said he is skeptical about claims the bidding process will produce significant savings.

"I could cut expenses, but actually meeting internal criteria and national standards, I don't know how anybody could do it for much less than we are doing it," he said.

He said other firms could win a contract with a low bid and then come back asking for more money at a later date, eating up any savings taxpayers might have gained.

"I know $1.6 million is a ton of money, but if you go back over the last three to five years in which there were no increases, the county has not lost a lawsuit and they have been able to maintain their accreditation," Strawhun said.

He added he is concerned the County Jail could lose its accreditation, which is up for renewal this summer, if health care declines in the name of cutting costs.

County Commissioner Frances DuPey, D-Hammond, said she is keeping a wary eye on the process.

"I want to see an actual spec developed so that other people can bid on it," she said. "I think this is something commissioners have to be very, very cautious about."

05182002 - News Article - Lake County has a storied history - ROBERT CANTRELL

Lake County has a storied history
Post-Tribune (IN)
May 18, 2002
Lake County has a storied history of elected officials being convicted on various charges involving public corruption.

The major cases are:
* 1961 -- Following a U.S. Senate investigation into organized crime's link to public corruption, Lake County Prosecutor Metro Holovachka was sentenced to three years for evading income taxes.

* 1963: Gary Mayor George Chacharis fell victim to the same investigation and got three years for tax evasion.

* Early 1970s: East Chicago Mayor John Nicosia was convicted for his role in a city sewer construction scandal.

* Early 1980s: The period marked the Operation Bar-Tab investigation in the fixing of drunken driving tickets.

The probe led to a host of convictions, including County Division Judges Orval Anderson and Steven Bielak and county Clerk Edward Lukawski.

* 1985: When former County Commissioner and Sheriff Rudy Bartolomei pleaded guilty to racketeering, he said there were kickbacks involved in 85 percent of all contracts handled by county commissioners.

Bartolomei turned government witness and entered the federal witness protection program. His testimony brought down several officials.

* 1993: Gary City Councilman Clemmons Allen was sentenced to 18 months for providing protection to bar owners in exchange for the purchase of fund-raising tickets.

* 1998: Gary City Councilman Gerald Hayes was convicted for taking kickbacks on landfill contracts.

* 2002: Lake Station Councilwoman Roseann Johnson will be sentenced next month for misuse of public funds.

03202002 - News Article - Sights set on public corruption - U.S. attorney pledges renewed crackdown - ROBERT CANTRELL

Sights set on public corruption 
U.S. attorney pledges renewed crackdown
Post-Tribune (IN)
March 20, 2002
The way U.S. Attorney Joseph Van Bokkelen sees it, his probe into public corruption could be the sequel to Operation Lights Out.

Lights Out, which had about a five-year run beginning in 1985, sent several Lake County government officials to prison for public corruption.

"It is in the Lights Out mode with my touch on it," Van Bokkelen said Tuesday about rejuvenating the office's public corruption unit.

He took over as U.S. attorney in October.

"We meet regularly to discuss the various cases and the new cases that come in through various sources, including newspapers."

A Post-Tribune series on the fund-raising tactics of Gary City Clerk Katie Hall led to a federal grand jury investigation in December. It is continuing.

Although he won't discuss specific cases, Van Bokkelen said the probe of public corruption is one of the priorities of his office.

"I think people look to our office as the last, best chance to hold people to their oath," Van Bokkelen said.

"We are going to show people we take it seriously when we say we will not tolerate people who abuse their positions in public service."

Although Van Bokkelen recently told the Crown Point Rotary Club that public corruption is a "cottage industry" in Lake County, he said the majority of those in public service are "very honest, very dedicated."

Van Bokkelen added, "I think most people assume public office with the best of intentions."

Van Bokkelen said he thinks public corruption slowed down during Lights Out but now has a new vigor.

"As people's memories fade and new people come in, it picks back up," Van Bokkelen said.

Former U.S. Attorney James Richmond, who once was with Van Bokkelen's law firm, launched Lights Out.

"Will the last person out of the county government center please turn out the lights," Richmond said as the probe unfolded.

Lights Out was launched when former County Commissioner and Sheriff Rudy Bartolomei turned government witness after being charged.

The probe led to the conviction of four county commissioners and others, largely for taking kickbacks on county contracts.

Bartolomei went into the federal witness protection program but has since returned to the public sector.

02052002 - News Article - Program helps young offenders - Woman critically injured in alcohol-related crash in 1995 speaks to first-time offenders at Schererville Town Court - ROBERT CANTRELL

Program helps young offenders
Woman critically injured in alcohol-related crash in 1995 speaks to first-time offenders at Schererville Town Court
NWI Times
Feb 5, 2002
nwitimes.com/uncategorized/program-helps-young-offenders/article_148c2c8a-5027-5700-960b-4be41f512f75.html
SCHERERVILLE -- Nicole Wernes doesn't remember the night in September 1995 when the car she was riding in became airborne and struck a utility pole.

The driver of the car, Lindsey Parsons, Wernes' best friend, died in the accident. Wernes was in a coma for three months.

When she awoke, she had no memory of the accident.

The two friends, both 17 and from Cedar Lake, had been on their way to the Crown Point High School football homecoming game.

Parsons' blood alcohol concentration at the time of the crash was 0.24, more than double the legal limit at that time, according to published reports.

Though Wernes does not remember the crash, she's doing her best so that others will never forget.

Wernes is the featured speaker of the Crossroads Offenders program, a monthly curriculum sponsored by the Schererville Town Court aimed to help young first-time offenders guilty of alcohol, tobacco and drug violations.

"I talk to them about how alcohol can harm their bodies," Wernes said with a soft voice. "I tell them how it changed my life, all that I've been through."

The road has been hard for Wernes.

"I'm not the same person anymore," she said. "I don't drive now. I had to learn how to walk. I was in a coma for three months. My memory is terrible. I still can't remember high school. I remember people, but I don't know how I know them."

Wernes, now 23, sends a sobering message to the young adults, according to Town Court Judge Deborah Riga, who oversees the Crossroads program.

A mother of a participant not long ago telephoned Riga to talk about how her son was changed after attending the program. The son told his mother that she would never have to worry about him drinking and driving.

"Feedback like that reinforces the positive impact the program is having, and the message that is getting through to them," Riga said. "It's comments like that that really make everything we do here worthwhile."

The goal of Crossroads, according to Riga, is to prevent reoccurrences and to show the participants the consequences of their actions. The program, aimed at offenders ages 18 to 22, meets from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. once a month on a Saturday.

Offenders are supervised for six months, during which time they must complete the program and not break the law. If those conditions are met, the case is dismissed.

In addition to Wernes, other presenters include officials from the Lake County coroner's office, who show slides involving drunken driving incidents. Members of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous also have spoken to the group.

A school counselor certified in drug and alcohol counseling then hosts a group discussion.

Jane Mantel, coordinator of the Lake County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said Wernes' message hits home.

"Nicole's speech is valuable because it's firsthand experience," Mantel said. "Although she doesn't recall what happened that evening, she recognizes the values and the lessons learned from it."

And the time spent with the participants is therapeutic for Wernes.

"It makes me feel better about myself," she said. "I love the fact that I'm trying to do something for everyone else."

What Wernes is doing is sharing a real-life experience.

"Sometimes young people think they are invincible, like nothing can happen to them or they won't get caught," Riga said. "In terms of long-term consequences, they can get caught. ... It's also about accountability. They're accountable for their actions and their consequences. They see a victim suffer, and I think that really drives home the message."

Wernes' mother, Vicki, said she is proud of her daughter.

"The main thing she tries to get across is about peer pressure," Vicki said. "She knows that once kids get in that, they don't know how to get out. She tries to tell them that they don't know who it's going to be. She didn't know it would be her. She tries to let them know she brought it on herself, even though she knew otherwise."

Nicole Wernes said she will continue to talk about an event that she does not remember, but one that changed her life forever.

"I don't know if I get to them all," Wernes said. "I know I get to several of them. If I only change one person's mind, them I'm happy. I want them to not drink. That's what I want."