NORWICH – Monday was the annual ceremony recognizing the graduates of the Drug Treatment Court program at Chenango County Court. The program was originally started in February 2004, by Judge Howard Sullivan. Participants plead guilty and as part of their sentencing are required to complete drug treatment court. It lasts one year and requires them to maintain sober during that time, as well as participate in a variety of educational/rehabilitation programs, in order to combat their drug and alcohol addictions. There is family treatment court, which strives to reconnect parents with their children, and adult criminal treatment court (TC).
“If you deal with drug addictions and deal with your problems then criminal activity will (generally) stop,” said Jim Everard, Drug Treatment Coordinator, when explaining the links between drug/alcohol addiction and crime.
Since its inception there have been 244 referrals to adult felony TC for evaluation. Of those, 226 began the audition process and 148 have been contracted. In total, 118 people successfully graduated. 16 people were arrested for another felony.
Some prior graduates were present at the ceremony and gave an update on their lives. Members of the drug treatment team were also introduced and were followed by the most recent graduates.
“We don't hear enough about people getting clean and sober,” said Everard when speaking to the graduates. “We're proud of you.”
Everard then opened the floor to guest speaker Samuel Pertilla, a graduate of the program who explained he has a long history of court appearances.
“It looked pretty hopeless to me (before the program),” said Pertilla. “This program is eighty-eight percent of the reason I'm standing here today ... if you don't make it through the program it's no fault but your own.”
He continued, “This program has given me the tools I need to continue on.”
Pertilla also explained that being positive is instrumental in getting through the program and staying clean. He described how negative thoughts can build up into “truths” that are hard to escape. The only way to get rid of this negativity and to build a better life is to remain positive and believe that success is possible, he explained.
“You have to be there for yourself,” he said. “We can continue to change the world in a positive way... if we act that way.”
Sullivan said to the graduates, “You folks have all engaged in the struggle – you're victorious.”
When asked about her experiences with the program, Katlyn, a family treatment court participant and mother of two said, “I get to stay with my kids ... I feel better, happy, stronger. I'm stable.”
She explained that she is participating in drug and alcohol treatment, one-on-one counseling sessions and Leading Edge, which is a BOCES program that provides holistic job skills training for adults.
“Contrary to public opinion, the drug treatment program does work and the way we gauge whether or not it works is through the success rate,” said Honorary Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir, Jr. “We've determined that the root of the problem (of crime) is related to drug and alcohol abuse. If we can remove that addiction from their lives...They don't go back to a life of crime (typically).”
Said Revoir, “The program has a higher success rate than traditional incarceration and probation programs.”