Thursday, March 26, 2015
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge John M. Durkin’s courtroom was packed Wednesday morning for an event that one doesn’t often see in court: a celebration.
Six people graduated from the Mahoning County Common Pleas Felony Drug Court. After more than a year spent getting drug-addiction treatment and completing required steps such as obtaining a job, a GED or diploma and a driver’s license, the felony charges that originally brought the six to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court were dismissed.
“Every day is a struggle, but I have peace today, I have happiness today, I have almost 10 months [sobriety] today when I couldn’t even get 10 hours before,” one graduate tearfully said.
“When I came into this program, I was an empty soul,” another graduate said. “Little did I know, a felony would be the best thing that ever happened to me. I lost a lot, but I gained even more.”
Another graduate compared her life now with her life more than a year ago.
“Seventeen months ago, I remember waking up wanting to die,” she said. “This program is amazing, and I don’t know where I’d be without it. ... I just love life today. If you’re not in the mindset yet, you’ll get there.”
Her words of encouragement were directed at those still in the program, some of whom were at the ceremony. Other attendees included family members, friends, judges, treatment- facility staff, parole officers, law-enforcement officials and drug-court staff.
Mahoning County’s drug court is in its 18th year. Judge Durkin estimates that more than 1,200 people have gone through the program, with about a 50 percent graduation rate.
Participants must be in it for a minimum of one year, during which time they get treatment, work toward meeting the requirements and are accountable to a probation officer.
Judge Durkin said his program has changed over the years to adapt to changes in the pattern of drug addiction.
When the program started, he said, the average participant was 35 years old and addicted to cocaine or crack; today, the average age is 24, and opiates such as heroin are the most-common drug.
“When I began, I absolutely bought into the 12-step approach, which is abstinence-based,” he said. After learning more about medications such as Suboxone that help treat opiate addiction, he changed his policy to allow that type of treatment, combined with others.
Just as his perspective changed through education, he said Wednesday that the community needs to be better educated.
“There’s still a stigma that’s attached to this disease. ... It’s a disease just like diabetes and cancer,” he said. “Let’s do a better job educating, overcoming the stigma, because there’s hope in recovery.”