Drug Court Commencement today
by Val Wang and Chris Conn
Today in the First Session we’ll be showing Drug Court Commencement. The ceremony will honor those individuals who have successfully completed the rigorous Drug Court program.
The ceremony will start in the afternoon. Ten graduates will be receiving diplomas today. We’ll be hearing from graduate speaker Danielle Prescott and keynote speaker Ronald Corbett Jr., the Acting Commissioner of Probation. Many family members and previous graduates also come to celebrate the graduates’ momentous transition to a new phase of life.
We see so many people every day in the court whose lives have been ravaged by drug and alcohol addiction. Drug Court is the one feel-good session of the week, and we suspect the graduation will be both heart-warming and tear-inducing.
We’ve also heard that there will be cake. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to partake in that, but you’ll be able to share in everything else that happens in First Session.
Let’s take a look at two of the innovative rehabilitation programs run by Quincy District Court.
Kicking the habit is just the beginning
Drug Court is part of a national program that provides court-supervised drug rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders instead of sending them to jail. While it is renowned for being a strict and difficult program, those who make it through Drug Court have a greater chance of staying clean.
Recent studies have shown that on average Drug Court programs reduce recidivism by 8 to 10 percent and save taxpayer money.
It’s Judge Moriarty’s job to hold individuals accountable while remaining their advocate. How does she balance these two seemingly contradictory roles?
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Though most come in “kicking and screaming,” Judge Moriarty helps guide them as they evolve through the stages of their rehabilitation.
They began as addicts ordered to live in strict residential treatment programs with curfews. Through the next 18 months, they held to a strict regimen of Alcoholic Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings, daily counseling, regular meetings before Judge Diane Moriarty, and frequent drug tests.
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Judge Moriarty watches successful participants secure jobs, reconnect with their families, and transition back into the community.
They eventually moved to sober houses and now they’ve come through to the other side.
It’s not just about staying clean; it’s about looking deeply into the emotional and psychological sources of their problems. And these problems can be different for men and women.
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Making better dads
The Fatherhood program is another treatment program that is offered by Quincy District Court. Run by Acting Chief Probation Officer Jay Brennan, the program is a 12-week course that is dedicated to better understanding the roles and responsibilities associated with fatherhood. The men have the opportunity to share honest stories about the ups and downs of raising children.
The main principle that is stressed throughout the entirety of the program is respect for the mother of the child. “No one chooses their parents,” Brennan states, “and there’s always room to be a better father.”
Admittance to the fatherhood program can be either mandated by a judge or offered at the request of a probation officer.
While it may seem like a punishment at first, fathers tend to really open up after a few weeks and begin to share emotional stories.
Just recently the girlfriend of a young father overdosed, leaving him solely responsible for their one year-old child. How did his peers in the fatherhood program respond?
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You can also read more interviews with court staff.
2 Responses to “Drug Court Commencement today”
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I would like to say thank you again,to the quincy drug court, not only did you SAVE my life, and PO melissa haynes, I am so very grateful to be a graduate of the quincy drug court , I am a woman with dignity an honor today,an for me I choose NOT TO PICK UP NO MATTER WHAT!! I am blessed an also I’m a mother of two beautiful boys! Thank you!
After watching a few weeks of drug court I have to wonder about its value.
Using up so much court time appears to be of questionable value.
The program itself may be of value, but it seems like it is something better handled by probation officers as opposed to weekly hearings in court using those resources.