Hutchinson County Adult Drug Court holds graduation ceremony
The 316th District Court Room was standing room only on Wednesday evening, as dignitaries, family, friends, mentors, and citizens came together to honor the first-ever graduate of the Hutchinson County Adult Drug Court and also celebrate National Drug Court Month.
Brianna Hudson, LMSW, said, “The event recognized all individuals whose lives have been transformed by the treatment and support provided by the program. However, the main recognition was geared towards our first Hutchinson County graduate, Jonathan J.”
“More than 30 years ago, the first drug court opened its doors with a simple premise: Rather
than continue to allow individuals with long histories of addiction and crime to cycle through the justice system at great expense to the public, use the leverage of the court to keep them engaged in treatment long enough to be successful. Today, drug courts and other treatment courts have proven that a combination of accountability and compassion saves lives while also preserving valuable resources and reducing exorbitant criminal justice costs.”
The graduation ceremony began with a welcoming by 316th District Judge James Mosley.
Mosley welcomed the attendees and introduced the Hutchinson County Adult Drug Court Team. He said, “we collaborate to do what’s best for our client,” speaking of the team.
Hudson thanked the great resources of the drug court for all their support. “I want to say thank you to a few of our supporters. I think they are all here, and they are great supporters. We always hear that we have few resources. The one thing that I can say is that those few resources are awesome, and they make up for a lot of resources because they do many many jobs that often places like Amarillo or bigger places only do one thing. Our resources come in and do whatever they can to help us out.”
Testimony was then given to the court by guest speaker Tom Reddick, who spoke to the crowd about his battle and recovery from drug abuse.
Following Rennick’s testimony, the first graduate Jonathan J. graduated from the Hutchinson Adult Drug Court Program after nearly one year in the program. He said, “Drug Court has been a blessing to my family and me. I was so tired of the way I was living, broke, homeless and hungry, and really just at the end of my rope; in this program, I have gotten so much, and they have opened my eyes to a world of possibilities that are now possible for me. I have health, dental and vision insurance, a 401k, a credit score...it just goes to show that through hard work and determination, anything is possible. Now, I am 36 years old, and I am the cleanest and soberest I have ever been in my entire life. I hit the ground running and haven’t looked back.”