DRUG COURT CLASS GRADUATES

Youths Get Clean, Records Cleared

Deciding to remain drug-free and build successful lives requires hard work
but is worth the sacrifice, Muscogee Superior Court Judge Frank J. Jordan
Jr. told the most recent graduates of Muscogee County Juvenile Drug Court
Tuesday.

Success means deciding -- each and every day -- to stay off drugs and look
to the future, he said.

But the young people listening to Jordan's commencement speech already had
learned its lessons. They were moments away from receiving certificates
marking their success in fighting drug use and the cleansing of their
criminal records of whatever offenses brought them to Drug Court.

The program allows youths whose non-violent behavior landed them in
Juvenile Court to fight drug and alcohol problems while clearing their
criminal records. Both youths and their parents must agree to follow the
six-month program's rules and requirements, which include counseling and
drug testing.

The program results in drug-free youth with a renewed sense of self-value
and direction, attorney Andrew Dodgen said.

"This program puts to the test our belief in the value of the individual,"
he said.

Several graduates thanked the staff for support during the program and for
demonstrating that drugs ruin lives.

"I learned I do not need drugs," one graduate said. "I need an education."

He vowed to returned to high school, receive good grades and graduate.

One past Drug Court participant warned the graduates to avoid the friends
who introduced them to drugs. He said he stopped using marijuana for a few
months, but resumed once he saw old friends again. It took a renewed
commitment to saving himself to stop the cycle.

"It's serious," he said, "and getting off drugs is going to save my life."

Drug Court Director Carol Scherer said that since Drug Court began
operating nearly three years ago, 40 youths have completed the program. Of
those graduates, 90 percent have remained drug-free and delinquency-free.

"We're really proud of these kids," she said. "We believe these kids can be
useful citizens."

Court organizers hope to expand the program to Harris County and Talbot
County to help youths outside Columbus, Scherer said. They are anxiously
waiting to hear whether the program will receive additional funding this
summer when its latest grant expires.