COURTS Ex-addict graduates from drug program

The local court has been a nationwide model.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Pam Smith created her own personal hell that nearly cost her her life.
She admits to doing drugs since she was 13. She had lived in a "dope house" and had been to prison. Her drug of choice: crack cocaine, which she describes as "the devil's drug."
But the 43-year-old Boardman woman says she can enjoy life once again because of the drug treatment program instituted through Mahoning County's Drug Court.
Smith and four others will participate in graduation ceremonies at 9 a.m. Friday in the courtroom of Judge Maureen A. Cronin. They completed an intensive 12- to 24-month program of comprehensive drug treatment.
The ceremonies coincide with National Drug Court Month, and events are planned in several U.S. cities to celebrate the success of the nation's 1,600 drug courts.
Judge Jack M. Durkin started the felony drug court in common pleas court in 1998 and it is now a model for similar courts nationwide.
The idea behind drug court is to put people convicted of drug-related crimes into a treatment program or rehabilitation instead of jail or prison. That helps to ease overcrowding in prisons and gives people a chance to start over, the judge said.
It's also a savings to taxpayers. Judge Durkin has said it costs between $2,500 and $3,000 to treat someone through drug court over 12 months, compared with $19,300 to keep a person in prison for a year.
Only people convicted of low-level felonies are eligible for the program.
Judge Durkin said the rules are straightforward:
Requirements
U Participants must spend a minimum of 12 months in the program and be alcohol and drug free for six months. Random and frequent drug tests are required.
UParticipants must get a driver's license.
UParticipants must get a job.
UParticipants must either get their high school diploma or General Educational Development diploma.
UParticipants must obey all rules of the drug court and attend drug and alcohol rehabilitation meetings.
"We're changing the way we deal with substance abuse offenders, and this program shows the dramatic difference in lives, families and communities," Judge Durkin said.
"When you hear the stories from these men and women, you hear that they now have abilities and skills to realistically lead drug-free lives," he said. "They're employed, paying taxes, regaining custody of their kids -- all as productive members of our society."
That is Smith's testimony.
Smith said she asked to be put in the drug court program.
"I went in on Jan. 28, 2004. I've been in the program 17 months, and I've successfully completed it," she said.
Smith said kicking a drug habit is difficult. She spent four months in a Community Corrections Association drug treatment program on Market Street, but relapsed.
"I had a problem with authority," she said. "I knew I needed to stop doing what I was doing, but I wanted to have my cake and to eat it, too. Drug court gave me another chance."
Her options were few. She could either complete the court's drug rehab program or go back to prison.
She chose wisely.
"In drug court, they give you the tools to get yourself clean. When you quit doing drugs, you have to learn how to live all over again," Smith said.
Smith said the key to successfully completing the program and reclaiming one's life is discipline and a desire to be successful.
She said there are consequences when you mess up, but there are rewards when you make progress.
She said those involved in the recovery program showed genuine concern for her.
"They taught me how to live again," Smith said.
"They gave me a new life. They taught me that I can live, and that I don't have to die."
Smith now has a job, has bought a new home and car and has a checking account -- major accomplishments for a woman who once couldn't keep any money in her pocket.
Smith has four children and two grandchildren. She said she didn't try to hide her battle with drug abuse from her children, who she said love her unconditionally. She has been drug free since last July.
Encouraging numbers
More than 250 participants have successfully completed the felony drug court program as of Dec. 31, 2004, Judge Durkin said. Of that number, only 35 have been re-arrested for new felony criminal violations, a recidivism rate of less than 15 percent. The nationwide recidivism rate is 35 percent, he said.
National Drug Court Month is coordinated by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, which assists in planning, implementing and operating drug courts in cities nationwide.
"We're seeing drug treatment courts making a major impact, and the Mahoning County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Board is a standout," said retired Judge Karen Freeman-Wilson, chief executive officer of NADCP in a news release.
Other agencies working closely to ensure the program's success include the county prosecutor's office, the Mahoning County Defense Bar, the sheriff's department, and other local law enforcement agencies, county officials and treatment agencies.
The county also has juvenile and misdemeanor drug courts.
Smith said her children, mother and niece will be at Friday's graduation ceremony to support her.
So what does she enjoy the most about her drug-free life?
"I enjoy spending time with my grandson," Smith said.