Henrico celebrates 15 years of drug court graduations

On its 43rd graduation, the Henrico County Adult Drug Treatment Court recognized 10 people May 18 who successfully completed a combined 20,000 days of sobriety and celebrated a milestone of having more than 200 people compete the program since 2003.

“Drug Court feels like my home,” said Brittney Welsch, a 2017 Henrico Drug Court graduate who was the graduation speaker. Welsch now works as a peer recovery specialist for Henrico Area Mental Health and Development Services.

Among other speakers were Deputy County Manager W. Brandon Hinton, Drug Court Clinician Aaron Rowe, defense attorney Kevin Purnell, Delegate Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico), and Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico).

Friends and family filled the Henrico courtroom to support their loved ones on their journey through drug court. Smiles, tears, and cheers created an inviting atmosphere for turning over a new leaf for those continuing their path of sobriety.

“I don’t know how I made it, but I’m here,” said Michael Phillips who reached 272 days of sobriety and graduated from drug court.

“It’s been a long, long road but I did it,” said Shawn Wise Jr. who reached 202 days of sobriety and also graduated.

Participation in Henrico’s drug court is voluntary and must be approved by the commonwealth’s attorney. The program provides intensive treatment, close supervision and counseling for at least 12 months, allowing participants to address their addictions, secure jobs, care for family members and satisfy court-ordered financial obligations.

Henrico established the Adult Drug Treatment Court after Circuit Court judges began looking for ways to break the cycle of individuals with alcohol and drug problems appearing before the court. Since its first docket on Jan. 24, 2003, the drug court has served 606 participants. The 10 people who graduated on May 18 brought the total number of graduates to 206.

According to a 2012 report by the National Center for State Courts, those who have completed a drug court program are less likely to re-offend than those who have served through the traditional criminal justice system.

The study also found that the average annual cost for a drug court participant ranges from $7,485 to $14,615 — far less than $29,678 annual cost of incarcerating an adult offender in a local jail.