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WINCHESTER — A woman who has her husband back. A newfound passion for gardening.
These were among the stories of healing and perseverance shared on Tuesday by new graduates of the Northwest Regional Adult Drug Treatment Court, along with family members and the drug court team, during a well-attended ceremony.
“This program saved my life without a doubt,” said Sara Dorr. “If it wasn’t for this program, I would be in prison, and what kind of life is that? But because of this program, I have an amazing life: I have my daughter back in my life. I have an amazing partner who is also in recovery. I get to spend time with my mom.”
The six graduates offered messages of hope and, above all, expressed optimism about where they are now headed, underscoring the need to maintain sobriety and the importance of the next step.
Aside from helping to curb addiction, the local drug court program, which provides a framework for recovery for nonviolent offenders who face sentences relating to drugs or alcohol, helps cut down on jail time, prison overcrowding and recidivism.
The court, which serves the city of Winchester and Frederick, and Clarke counties, started in 2016 as an alternative to incarceration in response to the opioid epidemic. In exchange for pleading guilty, defendants’ sentences are suspended, and they enter the drug court rather than jail. If terminated from the drug court, they often face lengthy prison sentences, which is an incentive to maintain sobriety.
In addition to Dorr, this group of graduates includes Shane Bowling, Courtney Tully, Royal Summers, Teri Baylor and Darren Baker — all of whom had an opportunity to reflect on their journey at a podium in the United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley building in Winchester.
Dorr was described as an important and active member of the recovery community, providing transportation for those who need help getting to recovery meetings, and the community as a whole.
Tully could always be relied upon to demonstrate open-mindedness, honesty, and willingness in recovery, according to Frederick County Circuit Court Judge Alexander Iden. Proud of her zucchini squash, Tully has taken to gardening, and she likes to try out different restaurants, he said.
“I’m proud of myself, and the help I’ve had with being proud of myself. I appreciate everyone,” Tully said.
Bowling thanked the drug court team, speaking to how the program’s structure allowed him to make changes.
“I wanted to stop being an addict of 35 years,” said Bowling. “That all ended for me when I got to this program and these people continuously tried and tried over and over again to get me to understand there is a better way to life, the same thing my wife has been trying to do for 20-something years.”
In the program, he proved himself humble, hard-working and dedicated, according to Iden, harnessing the desire to lead a sober life and assist others. Prior to entering the program, Bowling said he had a clear problem with authority.
“Come over to the other side of the tracks.’ That’s what she (his wife) used to tell me. ‘Come over to the other side of the tracks — learn how to live over here,’” Bowling said. “Is it glorious all the time? No, it’s not. But I’ve got to remember where I’m at today, the people who support me today. It’s led me to a really great position, and I’m ecstatic on where I’m get to go with my life,” Bowling said.
The drug court team is made up of probation officers, police, prosecutors and public defenders.
“The miracle is alive and it does happen. We do recover,” said Jeff Beard, reentry counselor at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center, which is located at Fort Collier Road just outside of Winchester. “That’s what it’s truly about: we get our families back and most of all we get ourselves back. Recovery works: to thine own self be true.”
On Thursday, the Virginia Supreme Court approved two new drug treatment courts for the Northern Shenandoah Valley: the Shenandoah County Drug Treatment Court, which will be presided over by Circuit Court Judge Kevin Black, and the Warren County Drug Treatment Court, which will be presided over by Circuit Court Judge Daryl Funk.
