From Mugshots to Milestones: Floyd County Drug Court Participants Succeed
As Jake Bishop spoke, a photo collage showed behind him which contained the mugshot taken at the jail before his entry into the drug court program, however that image, one of the lowest points in his life, was overshadowed by images of the life that has since followed. Those contained smiles, family, hugs and a giant fish caught on a summer day. When he spoke, he spoke of an overwhelming gratitude to those who helped him find his way back to sanity.
On Thursday, May 23, twelve graduates from the drug court program — the largest graduating class since it was established in 2017 — spoke of their life journeys up to this point. Many of the graduates in Thursday’s ceremony attributed their success to the counselors, families and even other participants in the drug court program. Through the program, participants work with multiple team members to find the right tools and path they need to take to reach their recovery goals.
Coordinator, Cam Parks spoke of the lessons she learned from each graduate as she introduced them one by one: whatever life throws at you, grin and bear it; leave your comfort zone to find your inner strength; there are multiple pathways to recovery; and even an old dog can learn new tricks. Each of the graduates spoke in front of over 130 people that came to show their support at the Floyd County Administration Building. Many told similar stories from the program. They were encouraged to be honest with themselves and held accountable when they weren’t. They were encouraged to take accountability for their actions and the choices they made in the past and taken to task when they didn’t.
When starting the program, participants like Jimmy Roberson and Lindsay James thought they could go through the motions of recovery but still live their old lives. Despite their hesitancy, they ended up buying in — and creating success for themselves. “I’m a better dad to my kids now and a better husband to my wife,” Roberson said. “I can’t thank my family enough for not giving up on me.”
The participants in this graduating class collectively attended over 3,500 hours of treatment sessions, were randomly drug tested over 2,400 times, completed over 380 hours of community service and maintained their sobriety for 8,579 days. But it’s up to the participants to make that change. “Change doesn’t come from the program,” Judge Sparks said. “Change comes from the participants; it comes from within. We’re very proud of our graduates.”
