Tonight a ceremony was held for the 2nd graduate from the Bates County Adult Recovery Court:
The outward appearance was that things were going pretty well for hard working guy with a great career. But inside, something else was going on- he was addicted to painkillers. Secretly, his life consisted of lies and half truths and he was constantly looking to anyone who would further enable his habit. Whether it was stealing pills or convincing doctors to write him prescriptions, he knew he was doing things he shouldn't, but, hey it didn't seem so bad. I can get help if I ever really need it, he often told himself.
And this facade was the recipe for life, every day, for a long time.
Then came an arrest that was the very beginning of a very long, painful scrape along rock bottom. For starters, the idea of sitting in jail for five days was simply unacceptable. He was sure that someone would bail him out, they always do, right? No. His mother, who professed the utmost love for him during tonight's ceremony said she couldn't post bail. She was certain that some time in jail could possibly do him some good. Although her emotions made that decision very difficult, she stuck to her guns.
Even after the jail time was served, things weren't going so great. He lost his job and things went further downhill from there. It was clearly time to get help. Now.
He applied and was accepted into the Bates County Adult Recovery Court. This required signing a contract with the court panel that comes with some difficult provisions and conditions. For example, he needed to find a job NOW or else it's 20 hours of community service. One week he had 40 hours of community service and was still required to apply for jobs. Don't do the community service and it's 24 hours in jail. Add to that three UA's a week and they'd all better come back clean. Other conditions are absolutely no lying or concealing information from the court or there will be punishment.
In the beginning, it might have appeared our graduate had bitten off more than he could chew...Add to that call in's, attending court and a nightly curfew. And he didn't exactly make friends in the early days of recovery court. While he was mostly cooperative with the panel, his abundance of self confidence was cause for a few problems here and there. But, by the contract, all parties involved stayed on track as agreed.
As his progress improved, he graduated from Phase I to Phase II of the program- as long as he continued to meet his obligations to the court, they eased up a little. He no longer had to attend court every week, now it was every other week and not as many UA's. Over time he advanced to Phase III, which meant that he only had to attend Recovery Court once a month and the reins were also loosened on the other restrictions, like the curfew.
Through the phases however, there was a constant reminder that if he screwed up, it would be back to the start. All the way to Phase I? Yes. Back to jail? Possibly. The reminders served as quite an incentive to do his very best.
By contrast, meeting his obligations could mean a reward- a dip into a fishbowl to retrieve a small paper that could have anything on it from 'Good Job!' to an actual physical item, such as candy or something better. As simplistic as it sounds, he was quite happy to receive a reward for his hard work, no matter how small or silly it might seem to others.
It's no secret that people slip up now and then, and the court understands that. For minor offenses, those in the program have to put a hand written note in the "Honesty Box". The note must explain why they slipped up, which our graduate found hard to explain sometimes, but he did it anyway.
Now, tonight, our Adult Recovery Court graduate gets to put all this behind him and look forward to a new future. A glance around the room revealed many of those involved in his success in the program, along with many friends. He got a hug from a person on the panel that admitted "He was terrible in the beginning. Thought he was right about everything!". But now he earned their full respect by the completion of the program.
An emotional evening? Sure. Even the most manly man might might have to fight off a tear as our graduate's mother spoke of her pride in his success. Or as his preacher shared his sentiments of the graduate's journey. A counselor offered words of praise and encouragement as well.
Finally it was time to enjoy cake, punch and chitchat outside the Circuit Courtroom.
Tonight's graduate has been 'clean', alas drug free since December 7, 2009 and is all smiles, ready to begin a fresh, new chapter in life. Part of the celebration included dismissal of pending charges and receiving a certificate for over a year and a half of commitment to the Bates County Adult Recovery Court.
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Some facts about the Bates County Recovery Court:
The Bates County Adult Recovery Court program began June 18, 2009. It is a member of the 27th Judicial Circuit Drug Court Program. The Program is a cooperative effort between the judiciary, prosecutor, defense counsel, law enforcement, probation and parole and treatment provider.
The mission of the program is to reduce the impact of drug use on the community and the criminal justice system and to assist individuals in breaking the cycle of addiction by incorporating early court intervention, treatment and education to improve the safety and quality of life for all citizens.
The program has been developed to help participants achieve the goal of sobriety and be productive, law abiding and taxpaying members of our community and society as a whole. The successful completion of the drug court program is a major step by the participant toward achieving these goals.
More info:
The Recovery Court is currently funded by a grant that is shared with multiple counties. Other income for the program is derived from fundraisers. In the near future, the Recovery Court will become incorporated so that those who donate will be able to deduct the amount from their taxes.
The Adult Recovery Court Team:
Honorable Debra Hopkins, Associate Circuit Judge
Hugh C. Jenkins, Prosecuting Attorney
Travis Cornelius, Probation and Parole
Andrea Thiebaud, Pathways Treatment Provider
Chad Anderson, Bates County Sheriff
Brandon Plunkett, Law Enforcement Liasion, Butler Police Department
Jeff Martin, Public Defender
Debbie Powell, Juvenile Officer
Amanda Cauthon, Circuit Drug Court Administrator
Diana Rich, CO-R.C. Court Administrator
Donna Morris, CO-R.C. Court Administrator
Matt Still, Tracker
