Opinion ID: 2628704
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Issue 2: Addicted Offender Accountability Act

Text: [¶ 18] One purpose of Wyoming's Addicted Offender Accountability Act was to provide alternatives for sentencing addicted qualified offenders. 2002 Wyo. Sess. Laws ch. 81, Preamble. This Act requires that a person convicted of any felony or a specified misdemeanor must receive a substance abuse assessment as part of his presentence investigation report. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1302 (LexisNexis 2007). Based on that assessment, the district court may determine that the person is a [q]ualified offender with a need for alcohol or other drug treatment. Id., § 7-13-1301(a)(iv). A qualified offender, in lieu of being incarcerated, may receive probation or a suspended sentence, under which he must complete a treatment program based upon the substance abuse assessment and any other terms and conditions as the court may deem appropriate under the circumstances. Id., § 7-13-1303(a). The Act also specifies, however, that a qualified offender may still be incarcerated under specified circumstances. Id., § 7-13-1303(c). [¶ 19] Mr. Greene concedes that he received a substance abuse assessment, in compliance with Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1302. The record reflects, and Mr. Greene does not dispute, that the assessment was included with the presentence investigation report, and that the district court considered the assessment in determining Mr. Greene's sentence. Mr. Greene complains, however, that the written judgment and sentence issued by the district court contained no express finding of whether Mr. Greene was a qualified offender under the Act. The district court's failure to specify his status as a qualified offender, Mr. Greene contends, denied him the opportunity for sentencing under the preferred treatment disposition. [¶ 20] Mr. Greene's position does not square with the unambiguous provisions of the Act. Under the Act, a qualified offender  may  receive probation or a suspended sentence, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-1303(a) (LexisNexis 2007) (emphasis added), but there is no language in the statute requiring that result. To the contrary, the statute explicitly provides that qualified offenders may be incarcerated if the interests of justice require a period of incarceration, or if [n]o adequate treatment alternative exists. Id., § 7-13-1303(c). The record reflects the district court's explicit determination that both of these circumstances were present in Mr. Greene's case. [¶ 21] Explaining the sentence it was about to impose on Mr. Greene, the district court stated that justice does require a period of incarceration. Among other reasons for this determination, the district court reminded Mr. Greene that [j]ust about your entire adult history has been one of committing crimes, and this now makes eight felony convictions for you. The district court also noted that Mr. Greene had been incarcerated for approximately twelve of the past fourteen years, and had not made the required changes in [his] life to become law-abiding. [¶ 22] Further, based on Mr. Greene's criminal history, the substance abuse assessment included in his presentence investigation report questioned whether Mr. Greene could qualify for any appropriate treatment program available to a person on probation. The district court echoed this concern. On the other hand, the district court indicated that if Mr. Greene were incarcerated, he could receive treatment in the state penitentiary's excellent Intensive Treatment Unit. [¶ 23] Relying upon two of the circumstances specifically mentioned in the Act as justifying incarceration, the district court determined that it was appropriate to incarcerate Mr. Greene whether or not he was a qualified offender. In this case, it simply does not matter whether the district court documented in writing its determination of Mr. Greene's status as a qualified offender. The record confirms that the district court's actions and determinations complied with the requirements of the Addicted Offender Accountability Act. [¶ 24] Affirmed.