POLK COUNTY -- The spirit of kinship and community was abound as the Polk County Treatment Court celebrated the graduation of three individuals from its program within a period of just one month: Nicholas, Travis, and Nikki.
“The treatment court is a very difficult and intensive program,” said Judge Tolan, capturing their journey. “It demands a number of things: it demands honesty; It demands sobriety; it demands treatment; community service; UA tests; a job; housing; those kinds of things. When you first start the program, and even at some points during the program, it can become very overwhelming. You only need to look around at everybody that’s in this room; they are here to help you should you need help.”
Clean-shaven and visibly beaming, Nicholas–who graduated in early October–shared his transformation after over a year in the program. Once facing unemployment and significant financial burdens, he has now embraced a new chapter. With a steady job, he has tackled his debts and rebuilt vital family connections. In addition, Nicholas had started his own plot in a community garden with the goal of trying to help others in need by donating the food grown to food shelves.
“It sort of made my life much more worth living,” Nicholas reflected about the program.
Travis, who graduated in September, echoed this sentiment. When he first joined the Treatment Court in January 2023, he lacked stable housing and employment. At his graduation, he not only had a home and a fulfilling job, but has also rekindled family relationships and celebrated the arrival of a daughter during his journey.
Nikki’s journey began in July 2022, during which she faced challenges in maintaining sobriety and fulfilling scheduled commitments. With newfound determination, she has since obtained her driver’s license, secured a job she loves, completed her GED, and built a strong sober support network.
Nicholas poignantly summarized the shared experience of the graduates, stating, “This program gave me the chance I so desperately needed to rebuild my life. I’m so happy to be able to stand here today and say that I’ve done just that and work with some really amazing people. Thank you to the team and all of you that have been involved in this process.”
By graduation, Nicholas had attended 35 treatment court status hearings, attended over 112 support meetings, gave 150 negative drug and alcohol tests throughout his time in treatment court, completed over 85 hours of community service, and was 323 days sober in the program.
Travis attended 47 treatment court status hearings, 231 support meetings, gave 197 negative drug and alcohol tests, completed over 60 hours of community service, and was 605 days sober in the program.
Nikki had attended 73 treatment court status hearings, attended over 216 support meetings, gave 228 negative drug and alcohol tests throughout her time in treatment court, completed over 85 hours of community service, and was 227 days sober in the program.
About Treatment Court:
The Polk County Treatment Court is a program of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). The mission of the Polk County CJCC is to reduce crime and recidivism in Polk County through programming such as the Treatment Court, which aims to reduce the destructive cycle of substance use and mental health disorder.
Last Update: Oct 07, 2024 1:49 pm CDT
