The San Bernardino County Court House. (Photo: Bobbi Albano)
Mary is a beautiful, slender woman in her 40s. She works in the aerospace industry during the day and in the evenings she attends her Human Services class at San Bernardino Valley College. “Mary” is not her real name. She asked me not to reveal her name because anonymity is a part of her drug recovery program.
In 2001 Mary was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale. Mary was addicted to and selling drugs. She had three small children and was doing her best to be a mother and a wife, but the addiction had taken control of her life.
She was in and out of homes, mostly not her own. She was stolen from and abused. Mary says this was not the vision her parents had for her when she was a little girl. Mary’s parents were average middle-class folks and most of her friends were the same.
“I started smoking pot at 13," says Mary. "I was really quiet and it made me feel a part-of [my peer group].”
In the next several years, Mary says she started using methamphetamines. She got in trouble with the law several times, but she says it wasn’t until she was arrested for possession of drugs for sale that her life started to turn around.
Mary’s story is not unique. Some kids start using drugs simply because they are shy. Mary says she was not an abused child; her family was not poor and she didn’t have any devastating losses. She says she was just painfully shy, and consequently, she felt alone.
Luckily for Mary, San Bernardino has a Drug Court [PDF]. Drug Court is a drug-intervention program administered through the court system to divert defendants into drug treatment and rehabilitation. In 1994, then judge Patrick Morris of the Superior Court of San Bernardino, partnering with the San Bernardino County Probation Department and Mental Health Systems, Inc., developed the Drug Court program. Defendants who are facing jail time for drug-related offenses are offered this alternative program to help them get clean. In most cases, their charges are suspended and they enter 18 months of one-on-one counseling, 12-step meetings, relapse prevention, and education and therapy groups. Upon successful completion of the program, participants are ready for re-integration into the community.
Scott McCraw, a retired deputy public defender for San Bernardino County says that each drug addict is unique and comes from a different walk of life. McCraw saw many people come into the Drug Court program during his 30-year career and he said it works.
“Where the prison recidivism rate is about 75 percent, Drug Court is much lower," McCraw says.
Deborah Cima, Treatment Court Coordinator for the County of San Bernardino, agrees. "The recidivism rate for those who have graduated Drug Court is only 18 percent." This means that out of 100 people who complete the program, only about 18 will return to the court system.
Mary completed the Drug Court program in 2002. Today, she says she leads a happy, normal life with many friends and the support of her loving family. She currently volunteers helping others who are struggling with addiction issues. This keeps her on track and helps her to remember how far she has come. She says her career goal is to work professionally with families that have issues similar to hers and to help them climb out of the addiction abyss.
Hi Bobbi
My husband is in jail on a probaton violation as we speak I have been trying in vain to get this man some help he has been a methamphetemine user since the age of 16 and has not ever recieved help. Just prison time 6 terms equalling almost 20 years in and he just turned 40. Do you have any suggestions we go back to court Oct.4, 2011. he had signed a 6 year 80% joint suspended iif he had violated and he did.
Unfortunately, it is your husband that needs to do this. As much as we love the people closest to us, we cannot do this for them. It sounds like he needs your prayers and maybe your tough-love. Hang in there girl.
Yvonne, you and your husband will be in my prayers. Bobbi could not have said it any better. I am a recovering addict myself. Though I cold not have made it this far without treatment and a 12 step program, those things could not have done it without me. There are 12 step programs for people whose love ones suffer from the disease of addiction. They can help you to care for yourself, which is very important. If you have additional questions that you think I may be able to help with I would love to answer.
Great article Bobbi, thank you!
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This article speaks to many who are working thru the pain of addiction and finding successful recovery. It is wonderful to see that there are programs in place to assist in the daunting but highly rewarding process.