Judge Chris Hazlett-Stevens
Reno Municipal Court, Dept. 4
“Reno community court tests new treatment readiness program to improve homeless services” - RGJ
Joshua Hjermstad sat at a table in the bustling, plant-filled lower level of the downtown Reno library Wednesday where community court was in session nearby behind large glass walls.
He was talking to a homeless woman who said she didn’t want to quit using meth. He had a new tool in his toolkit to help her: treatment readiness group therapy.
“It’s preparing people to start drug and mental health treatment,” said Hjermstad, the specialty court case manager for Reno Municipal Court.
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Service with humility and integrity.
Judge Christopher Hazlett-Stevens
Appointed to the bench in January of 2021 by the Reno City Council, Judge Chris Hazlett-Stevens quickly relaunched the Reno Municipal Community Court as a vital service to Reno’s unsheltered population. Guided by his years of experience as a criminal prosecutor, he focuses on incorporating treatment into sentencing, focusing on reducing recidivism by targeting issues at the misdemeanor level, preventing individuals from going on to commit more serious felonies. He believes this approach has the best chance at reducing crime in the community by ending the cycle of criminal behavior.
Why should you vote to Retain Judge Hazlett-Stevens?
Our judges matter, and what we do as judges matters. Our decisions impact people’s lives and affect our entire community. This is a position which carries tremendous power and demands the highest personal integrity; it matters who we elect to serve as a judge.
I am keenly aware that my decisions regarding the person before me will have both immediate consequences as well as long-term impacts on that person’s life, and our community. What I do in that moment matters, and my goal is to always look for ways to reduce recidivism.
Through my extensive training as well as my years spent as a compliance investigator, in private practice, and as a prosecutor, I know that the best chance for change is to treat the underlying causes and conditions that have brought that person before me; these include untreated mental health disorders and substance abuse issues. Using one of the many therapeutic courts we have created at the Reno Municipal Court has been proven to result in robust and lasting long-term changes that put an end to the cycle of criminal behavior.
The right case and the right defendant combined with the right specialty court results in a winning formula in achieving what we all want: an end to criminal conduct. This approach at the misdemeanor level helps our entire community by targeting the root causes of the behavior instead of focusing solely on consequences that create an environment that perpetuates the cycle of criminal behavior, preventing more serious crimes at the felony level. We have a proven success rate showing at least a 70% reduction in recidivism compared to traditional sentencing methods.
I am honored to share in the valuable work we do at the Reno Municipal Court. I strive each day to serve with humility and integrity in all decisions I make on the bench, and I hope to continue the valuable work I do each day as a judge to make our community an even greater place to live for EVERYONE.
