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TOP PHOTO: Recovery Court graduates celebrate with the toss of their caps at Friday’s graduation.
By Charlotte Underwood
JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – Second chances come rarely in life, but for ten East Tennessee individuals that opportunity was provided by the Eighth Judicial Recovery Court program. Roughly two years worth of hard work paid off with a program graduation ceremony held Friday morning at the Jacksboro Methodist Church.
Three of the ten participants were from Campbell County, while others were from Scott, Claiborne and Union counties, according to program coordinator Sandy Webber. All ten had one thing in common; they were headed to prison due to bad decisions with substance abuse. The Recovery Court program was the intervention that led to these ten participants now being “gainfully employed, reunited with their families and clean and sober.”
“We’re all so very proud of them and the effort it took to get here,” Webber said. Graduates received a certificate, a journal, a coin and a backpack during the ceremony.
Recovery Court was started by former Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton in 2005. It is a 18 to 24 month program designed to “break the cycle of substance abuse” and help participants recover their lives.
Session Court Judge Bill Jones attended the ceremony as well, citing Recovery Court as an important tool for the Judicial system.
“It’s an alternative to jail; it shows people how to get clean and live a sober life and stops that revolving door of jail. It brings people back to their families, their children, and jobs; it helps them get their life back,” Jones said.
Criminal Court Judge Zach Walden spoke at the ceremony and handed out certificates to graduates. He thanked everyone who had a hand in making the program a successful one.
“There has been so much success with this program that we have expanded it from 40 participants to 50; right now we have 49 participants, but that goes down to 39 after today’s graduation,” Walden said.
During the graduation ceremony, three previous Recovery Court graduates also spoke about the program and how it helped ” save their lives.”
Jason and Mary Morgan spoke, as did Robin Overbay.
Mary Morgan, who is a 2018 Recovery Court graduate, said she had lost her family, friends and kids and had truly “hit bottom.”
“I was facing a prison sentence when I found Recovery Court and it worked; it was very strict and structured at first, but it worked. I’m clean and sober, I have my family back, my kids, I work now; life is great,” Mary Morgan said.
“The important thing to remember is if you don’t use what these programs provide in every aspect of your life, you will fail and relapse. Listen and do as you are told; even the tiniest thing like clean your room, everything they taught me, I still use today, I apply it to every aspect of my life to make it better. Not one day goes by that I would ever want to go back to what I was doing; it’s all thanks to this program and those willing to help, ” Overbay said. She is a 2021 program graduate.
Campbell County Recovery Court graduate Ashlee Silcox said the program had “saved her life.”
Silcox signed into the program on Sept. 29 2021, and has been sober for 24 months. She’s now employed, had her driver’s license reinstated and has the goal of becoming a Recovery Specialist, buying a house, raising her kids and to continue working in the recovery field. “I have my kids back, everything fell into perfect place; this program saved my life,” Silcox said.
Other Campbell County Recovery Court graduates included Scott Hatmaker and Bradley Lawson.
Lawson celebrated 26 months sober; he is employed in Knoxville, had his driver’s license reinstated and completed the Volunteers for Recovery program.
Hatmaker has been sober 22 months and completed the Volunteers for Recovery program. He is employed and said the Recovery Court program helped him “work and stay clean.” His goal is to “provide a good life for his son.”
“I had lost everything; even my pride and self respect, but through the help of this program, I got it back,” Overbay said.
Friday’s Recovery Court graduates were:
Ashlee Silcox: Campbell County
Bradley Lawson: Campbell County
Scott Hatmaker: Campbell County
Brittany Asher: Claiborne County
Amanda Brooks: Claiborne County
Cody Evans: Claiborne County
Meredith Robinson: Claiborne County
Amanda Whaley: Union County
Bobby Hatfield: Scott County
Chad Ellis: Scott County (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 06/12/2023-6AM)