GREEN BAY, Wis. — As the first of its kind in Wisconsin, Brown County’s Young Adult Court is offering an alternative to criminal court.

It’s designed as a compassionate rehabilitative court diversion program for juvenile offenders aged 17 to 23.

Kassandra Nooyen said she now enjoys some of life’s simple pleasures, including tossing pebbles into the Duck Creek River in Green Bay’s Pamperin Park. 

“It’s just really peaceful to come and just when you have a really rough day and to sit and relax and watch the water,” Nooyen said.

It wasn’t always this way. Nooyen struggled with a fentanyl addiction for over a year. She said it started after she fell in with a bad crowd.

“I lost a lot of family and friends. I lost my best friend of 13 years, and I got kicked out and I was homeless for a good portion of my addiction,” Nooyen said.

In 2022, Nooyen’s drug use led to her first arrest. She said she was terrified because this was a felony drug arrest. 

“I was scared because that’s on my record forever and I didn’t want that to be on my record, and to identify me as a person, because that was not me as a person,” Nooyen said.

Nooyen said she knew something had to change. In April 2023, she enrolled in Brown County’s Young Adult Court program.

Kayla Robinson is a social worker with the program. She said it’s a compassionate alternative to traditional criminal court proceedings.

“We look at individuals with anywhere from 17 to 23 with charges such as nonviolent and nonsexual so we don’t take any violent offenders or significant drug dealers,” Robinson said.

Part of Robinson’s job is to make sure participants find employment, continue their education, and receive mental health treatment or drug treatment.

“Every person that comes into our program, their services are tailored for their specific needs, because not every person comes in with the same needs,” Robinson said.

Brown County Circuit Court Judge Tammy Jo Hock presides over Young Adult Court.

She’s been a judge for 12 years and in that time, she’s also presided over juvenile court proceedings. She said this program is a way to help address a disturbing trend in young people.

“I’ve also been noticing, especially over the last couple of years, that the juvenile offenders are being charged with more and more serious crimes,” Hock said.

The court doesn’t just adjudicate. This program helps address the underlying issues of juvenile offenders. Hock said she hopes this court is a way to help improve their lives.

“Once they turn 17 and 18, in the criminal system, they’re adults, but the opportunities for resources are so limited, and we’re dealing with a population that can benefit from what we can offer, and hopefully help them avoid a prison sentence and return,” Hock said.

This year, Nooyen graduated from Young Adult Court. After two more years of good behavior, Nooyen can possibly have her felony drug charge dismissed or reduced.

“I have a full-time job. Now, I have amended a lot of broken relationships while I was in addiction, and it just has pushed me to be a better person,” Nooyen said.