In the past, drug addicts who were convicted of drug related crimes were most commonly either sent to treatment or incarcerated. I have experienced both and did not benefit much from either one. In 2001 I was in a fairly new program called Drug Court. Drug Court is a unique and extraordinary program that gives addicts the tools they need to endure life without using drugs.
I was very nervous about this program because it was so different than anything else I had been through. I was always able to tell the treatment counselors or judges what they wanted to hear so that I could get back to my normal way of life: using. I was worried that I would not be able to get over this road block so easily. Drug court consisted of a team of probation officers, drug treatment counselors, a defense attorney, a county attorney, and a judge. The entire team was specially trained in the area of drug addiction.
This was a very tough team to contend with for the addict who just wanted to get it over and use again. In the beginning, I had to ride the bus to the probation office Monday through Thursday to check in by 7:00 in the morning. I didn’t have to go on Fridays because that was the day I had to go to the courthouse and sit in front of the judge, the rest of the team, and most of the other participants in the program. It was held in the courtroom with the judge at the stand, the remainder of the team arranged in a semi circle around the “hot seat”, and the other participants in the benches.
The jury box was reserved for those currently incarcerated. During the big meeting on Fridays I would have to sit, in front of everyone, and answer questions about what was going on in every aspect of my life. All of the participants took their turn in the hot seat, even the ones who had messed up and were going to jail. I watched several of my peers breakdown sobbing, be taken away in handcuffs, be placed in a residential facility, and even be revoked from the program and sent to prison. I was able to learn from other’s mistakes and achievements which was beneficial.
The team understood that no one is perfect, especially an addict, and looked at most mistakes as learning experiences. I did not use while in the program but I witnessed the Friday sessions of many who did. Instead of being revoked right away, they were given encouragement and support in one form or another. This was amazing to me because the judicial system doesn’t offer much in the way of second chances. A convicted criminal battling addiction is usually looked upon as a lost cause, but Drug Court sees past the stigmas.
I was terrified of the team and resented them in a lot of ways. It wasn’t until my husband was incarcerated (right before my due date) that I realized the team was there to help. I was jobless, soon to be homeless, and scared to death. The judge pulled some strings and got me a room at the YWCA; he also gave me his personal phone numbers and volunteered to take me to the hospital when I went into labor and stay with me during delivery. Fortunately I still had family in Ottumwa and my in-laws in Des Moines, so even though I was touched by it, I did not take him up on his offer.
It was surprising to find out that someone in the system actually cared about me and didn’t just want to lock me up somewhere. I stayed at the YWCA until my daughter was three months old and a room opened up at House of Mercy. The Drug Court team, against my wishes, decided that I should complete the long term residential program there. They looked at my individual situation, not just that I was an addict/criminal, and they based their decisions on my personal needs. I took classes on parenting, job search skills, criminal thinking, budgeting, and basic life skills. I also completed over a hundred hours of ommunity service. At the time, I looked at these opportunities as punishments, but looking back I realize that I was learning how to lead a healthier, more productive lifestyle. I also learned skills that could not be taught in a classroom. Among the most important are: patience, tolerance, responsibility, accountability, and humility. It took me almost two years to complete the program but the amount of time is different for everybody. Upon completion, each participant must then complete regular probation based on the severity of the crime that brought them to Drug Court.
I was given two years probation after I graduated. It is also mandatory for the graduates to participate in the Drug Court Alumni while on probation. In a sense, graduates still had the support of the team even after completing the program. The alumni focused on enjoying life without drugs and supporting the current Drug Court participants. They had holiday parties, picnics, bowling, and other fun activities. They gave out gifts to members and their families on Christmas, Thanksgiving dinner was prepared for those who had no family to share it with, birthdays were remembered, it was like a second family to me for a while.
Unfortunately it did not work for me right away; just because you are given tools does not mean you will use them. I relapsed while still on probation and finished my sentence in state prison. Since the age of fourteen, I have been in six treatment programs, spent a total of forty eight days in county jail and did eighteen months in prison. But then I made the choice to change my life; I look back and Drug Court is where I learned how. It gave me the tools I needed, and now that I use them I am living a successful life.
