Drug Treatment Court celebrates four of its recent graduates

REGINA Listening to the stories at Regina’s Drug Treatment Court, it isn’t uncommon to hear that those within the program sometimes experience setbacks.

Some relapse, some go AWOL for a while, some reoffend in worse ways and aren’t allowed back.

But for those who experienced setbacks and returned for another try, Drug Treatment Court (DTC) proved more than a life-changer, it was a lifesaver.

This week saw four people graduate from the program — a record number to date — bringing the total number of Regina DTC grads to 87.

The program grants lighter sentences to those who successfully complete it by undertaking intensive drug programming and counselling, reporting to court regularly and providing clean screens to ensure they are not using substances.

In addressing the four grads on Tuesday, Judge Pat Reis noted what they’ve accomplished is, in fact, more difficult than a jail sentence, where they each would have ended up without DTC. In each of the cases, the grads successfully completed the program and maintained clean screens for a year despite, in most cases, having got off to a rough start in DTC.

When 35-year-old Gregory Gibson began in December 2017, he said he found it “a struggle.”

“I wasn’t too sure if the program was right for me,” he said.

Now Gibson is talking about returning as an ambassador for future clients.

When he started, he was faced with a range of property crimes and breaches — all springing from his addictions issues — that would have netted him a jail sentence under normal circumstances.

Instead, Gibson was given a chance at a probation sentence. To get it, all he would have to do was change his life completely.

“I was battling what was right and wrong ...,” he told the court. “I could have basically just did the jail time and got out earlier than I did with the Drug Treatment Court, but what would that benefit me? I needed a better way of life. I’ve been in and out of jail, and we have these talks in there, and it’s called the jail talk. We want this change, we want a different kind of life. But when you do get out and you do try to do that, it doesn’t happen.”

Gibson struggled at first with dirty screens, and later went AWOL, racking up more charges along the way. But he wrote a letter to the court, asking to go back. Having received a second chance, Gibson changed his perspective on DTC, found a different peer group, reunited with family, secured a job and turned in consistently clean drug screens.

He received a six-month probation term this week.

So did 37-year-old Lyndon Sprague, who moved west from New Brunswick and developed a cocaine problem during his time working on the rigs. He said he was using heavily, relying on drug trafficking to help support his addiction.

“I didn’t like the person I became,” he said.

Sprague’s life spiralled further out of control in 2015 when he and his partner lost a child.

Having accrued a variety of mainly property offences, Sprague started DTC in January 2018. Like Gibson, he got off to a rough start, providing a number of dirty screens. But he soon embraced both the program and the sober lifestyle, and has now been clean a full year.

His addiction prevented his being able to return to New Brunswick to see his mother, but she came to Regina this week to be present at his graduation.

“I’d just like to thank everybody here for my recovery,” he said to those gathered in the courtroom. “It was something I never thought would be possible. I’m just extremely grateful. It saved my life.”

Daniel Woodley, 35, admitted when he started off in DTC, he didn’t take it seriously and even tried to manipulate the system. Then he relapsed and ended up back on the street and then jail.

That’s when he decided it was time to get serious.

He has now been sober a little more than 15 months.

“I’ve built myself a good network of people to reach out to ...,” he said, adding he has several friends in the program with whom he once used. “It’s just nice to have past friends around to actually enjoy the celebration with, to graduate with. They’re all proud to see me graduate.”

Court heard a fourth grad, 42-year-old Ronald Harris, took to the program quickly, entering in February 2018 with an open mind and the motivation to explore the possibility of recovery. He proved to be someone who both challenged and encouraged others within the group, and built a solid foundation for his continued recovery.

When asked by Reis for his thoughts during Tuesday’s graduation, Harris needed just two words: “I’m happy.”