A graduation stands as a time of celebration of work and sacrifice that led to a completed goal, and with it, there is a hope of a brighter future.
The community paused this week to celebrate the graduation of 11 and the new personal journeys they have begun.
Eleven graduates from three of Cole County's treatment courts were celebrated Wednesday night during a ceremony at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park. They are graduates of three of the county's treatment programs -- Veterans Court, DWI Court and Adult Drug Court. A fourth program -- the Co-Occurring Treatment Court -- serves people with addiction issues and behavioral health issues.
Cole County's treatment courts began more than two decades ago under the leadership of former Judge Pat Joyce. To those unfamiliar with the treatment courts, a misconception could exist that the programs offer too much leniency and make it too easy on offenders.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Treatment courts are set up to require participants to meet standards over five phases. The initial phase is 60 days. Each of the next four phases is 90 days. Few complete the programs in the minimum timeframe. Should participants fail to remain sober, or attend court, or complete assignments (such as attending sobriety meetings), they will not pass to the next phase. Also, each participant has goals to reach before moving to the next phase. Some simply take longer to reach those goals than others. They are monitored by the judge, prosecutor's office, defense counsel and probation office.
For those enrolled in the treatment courts, there are setbacks, acknowledges Cole County Circuit Judge Cotton Walker, who presides over the specialty courts. Setbacks may be related to their recovery, but they may just come about because of hurdles that life puts in front of participants, such as family or medical issues, he said.
So, it's very worthy of the community to celebrate the successes of those who emerge from the program, like those 11 graduates.
"(Participants) are intimately connected to their recovery, the treatment community and what their needs are," Walker said. "They've done the hard work."
Participants are modest, he said. They don't mind being recognized for the hard work, but they really don't want to be celebrated. Mostly, they are just thankful for this stage of their journey. One graduate said she could never have dreamed of getting sober, graduating from drug court, working at a recovery center or re-connecting with her family a few years ago.
"I never thought I'd be thankful for sitting in jail with a no-bond warrant for long enough to sober up and make the first good choice that I'd make in a really long time," she said. "I never thought I would be welcomed by my family, my kids and my friends again."
She also said she never thought she would become a role model or mentor, or that she'd be proud of herself. But she attained all those things.
Hers and others who emerge from the specialty courts are journeys certainly worthy of celebration.
"I am so thankful for every person and every program and every class that supported me through everything I never thought I'd get through," one of the graduates said. "I know you had your doubts, too. I know they didn't really want to take me. But here we are. I am so blessed to be in recovery."
-- News Tribune