NORWICH – A county judge decided that jail wasn’t working on a Norwich man who stepped before him with considerable trips behind bars under his belt.

County Judge W. Howard Sullivan sentenced Timothy G. Prosser, 40, of 52 Mitchell Street in Norwich to 5 years probation and the mandate of having to complete Chenango County Drug Treatment Court for what a prosecutor said was the man’s seventh alcohol-related arrest. Prosser has been auditioning for the treatment program, and after referencing the defendant’s six prior trips behind bars, Sullivan said the new alternative route may be what turns behaviors around.

“None of these (trips to jail) have made a difference in Mr. Prosser’s behavior. Drug treatment court has,” he said. “Hopefully this is going to be a lifetime change for Mr. Prosser.”