Series: Four Lives, One Last Chance - A Year In Drug Court: Part 38 Of 41

EPILOGUE. JENNIFER

Jennifer's baby, Benesha, was born at Mary Immaculate Hospital on Jan. 2 --
the first baby born to a Newport News Drug Court client.

Because of health problems - including a bad back from a car wreck and a
difficult birth - Jennifer has not returned to work. She spends her days at
home with her baby, and she jokes about how spoiled Benesha has become from
all the attention.

For the last year, Jennifer has been taking high school classes at home
through a mail-in, independent study course. She has earned 12 of the 21
credits she needs for a diploma, and she hopes to complete all the courses
next year.

Jennifer and Ben are still together. She says he is a good father, and they
plan to get married and have another child soon.

Jennifer, now 34, graduated from Drug Court on June 28. She had been clean
for 937 days.

"She says now that she values life and her ability to be a good mother,"
said Judge H. Vincent Conway Jr. during the ceremony. "We are all very
proud of her."

She still must complete the after-care portion of the program, in which she
attends counseling at Drug Court just once a week and visits the judge once
every two months. After that, she must complete a two-year probation period.

Jennifer acknowledges that she has lost her battle to win back her two
children, but she still gets to visit them every couple of months and on
special occasions. The girls are living with a new foster family. Jennifer
says they are good people who will let her be a part of the girls' lives.

Jennifer still believes she should have been given another chance to be a
mother to her daughters, and she still harbors anger toward the social
services system. But after the girls moved to their new home, Jennifer
apologized to the embattled social worker she constantly berated.