Drug court graduation marks 20 years of helping people get clean
David Melki gets his certificate of completion. Photo: Erica Yoon
The Roanoke Times | July 17, 2015
By Amy Friedenberger
When David Melki was 19 years old, he lost his father. And then he lost himself.
What started off as scrounging a few bucks to buy cigarettes turned into using illegal drugs. When he got busted for possessing marijuana and LSD in 2011, he had two options: go to prison or participate in drug court.
Melki, 26, chose drug court. It took him 40 grueling months to complete, but on Friday, he “graduated.”
“I’m very proud of myself,” Melki said. “Drug court has completely turned my life around for the better.”
Eleven smiling people — seven men and four women of various ages and races — accepted certificates and coins recognizing their completion of the drug court program at Roanoke County Circuit Court. About 50 people attended the event, from family and friends to law enforcement officials and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.
A mother dabbed away tears as her son received his certificate. A young man punched the air when Melki shook hands with law enforcement officials who congratulated him. Melki’s brother, Matt, was among those who attended in support.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Matt, 29, who graduated drug court himself before his brother. “He changed and did a complete 180.”
Friday’s ceremony also celebrated 20 years of the program’s existence in the Roanoke Valley. Launched in 1995 by former Circuit Court Judge Diane Strickland, and modeled after other states’ efforts, the Roanoke Valley’s drug court is the oldest in Virginia. Drug court is a sort of fusion of law enforcement and public health, giving certain nonviolent offenders who are addicts a chance to avoid prison while the criminal justice system closely monitors their drug treatment.
“You chose to change your life,” Strickland, the featured commencement speaker, told the graduates. “Recovery is not smooth sailing, and the road ahead will not come without bumps.”
Strickland pointed behind her to Vinnie Dabney, one of the earliest drug court participants, as the possible future the new graduates could have. Dabney joined the program in 1998 after his $20,000-a-year heroin addiction cost him his wife and his job. When his addiction finally got him caught, he chose the drug court program. Since his graduation in 2000, he has been a drug court counselor and now works at a private practice as a therapist treating substance abuse. He’s been clean for 16 years.
“Drug court gives people a second chance, another option to turn their lives around,” Dabney, 62, said.
Since the inception of the 23rd Judicial Circuit Drug Court, more have popped up across the state. There are 34 operational drug courts, with an additional two — Halifax County and Danville — that will start up in the near future. Pulaski County recently launched a drug court. Since 2007, 1,855 people have graduated from drug courts, said Kristi Wright, a Virginia Supreme Court spokeswoman.
“I think drug court is here to stay,” Strickland said. “It’s proven itself to be an effective way of dealing with offenders.”
As of Friday, 871 people have graduated the Roanoke Valley Drug Court, which involves Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem. Presently, 117 people are participating in the program.
Judge David Carson, who currently presides over the drug court, said the reward that participants receive for completing the program is a substance-free life and tools to cope with addiction and potential relapses, as well as dismissal of their pending felony drug charges.
“It’s such a valuable option to have the opportunity to deal with the issue and become a productive member of society,” Carson said.
The drug court program is rigorous. Jessica Kyle, a senior probation and parole officer, said somewhere between one-third and one-half of initial participants drop out. And it’s not uncommon for people to choose to serve time because they don’t want to commit to the arduous program, which requires them to attend therapy meetings, abide by curfews, submit to urine testing, complete 100 hours of community service, become a full-time employee or student and maintain sobriety for at least eight months.
Those graduating on Friday took anywhere from 12 months to 40 months to complete the program. Within that time, they’ve accomplished a lot. Kyle said 10 of the graduates obtained full-time jobs and one is on disability. One mother gave birth to a drug-free baby, and one person started his own company renting residential properties.
“These people have overcome long years of difficulty,” Kyle told the crowd.
Melki now has a full-time job and a girlfriend.
“Life is precious,” Melki told his fellow graduates from a podium. “It’s a gift, so cherish it.”
By Amy Friedenberger
When David Melki was 19 years old, he lost his father. And then he lost himself.
What started off as scrounging a few bucks to buy cigarettes turned into using illegal drugs. When he got busted for possessing marijuana and LSD in 2011, he had two options: go to prison or participate in drug court.
Melki, 26, chose drug court. It took him 40 grueling months to complete, but on Friday, he “graduated.”
“I’m very proud of myself,” Melki said. “Drug court has completely turned my life around for the better.”
Eleven smiling people — seven men and four women of various ages and races — accepted certificates and coins recognizing their completion of the drug court program at Roanoke County Circuit Court. About 50 people attended the event, from family and friends to law enforcement officials and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke.
A mother dabbed away tears as her son received his certificate. A young man punched the air when Melki shook hands with law enforcement officials who congratulated him. Melki’s brother, Matt, was among those who attended in support.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Matt, 29, who graduated drug court himself before his brother. “He changed and did a complete 180.”
Friday’s ceremony also celebrated 20 years of the program’s existence in the Roanoke Valley. Launched in 1995 by former Circuit Court Judge Diane Strickland, and modeled after other states’ efforts, the Roanoke Valley’s drug court is the oldest in Virginia. Drug court is a sort of fusion of law enforcement and public health, giving certain nonviolent offenders who are addicts a chance to avoid prison while the criminal justice system closely monitors their drug treatment.
“You chose to change your life,” Strickland, the featured commencement speaker, told the graduates. “Recovery is not smooth sailing, and the road ahead will not come without bumps.”
Strickland pointed behind her to Vinnie Dabney, one of the earliest drug court participants, as the possible future the new graduates could have. Dabney joined the program in 1998 after his $20,000-a-year heroin addiction cost him his wife and his job. When his addiction finally got him caught, he chose the drug court program. Since his graduation in 2000, he has been a drug court counselor and now works at a private practice as a therapist treating substance abuse. He’s been clean for 16 years.
“Drug court gives people a second chance, another option to turn their lives around,” Dabney, 62, said.
Since the inception of the 23rd Judicial Circuit Drug Court, more have popped up across the state. There are 34 operational drug courts, with an additional two — Halifax County and Danville — that will start up in the near future. Pulaski County recently launched a drug court. Since 2007, 1,855 people have graduated from drug courts, said Kristi Wright, a Virginia Supreme Court spokeswoman.
“I think drug court is here to stay,” Strickland said. “It’s proven itself to be an effective way of dealing with offenders.”
As of Friday, 871 people have graduated the Roanoke Valley Drug Court, which involves Roanoke, Roanoke County and Salem. Presently, 117 people are participating in the program.
Judge David Carson, who currently presides over the drug court, said the reward that participants receive for completing the program is a substance-free life and tools to cope with addiction and potential relapses, as well as dismissal of their pending felony drug charges.
“It’s such a valuable option to have the opportunity to deal with the issue and become a productive member of society,” Carson said.
The drug court program is rigorous. Jessica Kyle, a senior probation and parole officer, said somewhere between one-third and one-half of initial participants drop out. And it’s not uncommon for people to choose to serve time because they don’t want to commit to the arduous program, which requires them to attend therapy meetings, abide by curfews, submit to urine testing, complete 100 hours of community service, become a full-time employee or student and maintain sobriety for at least eight months.
Those graduating on Friday took anywhere from 12 months to 40 months to complete the program. Within that time, they’ve accomplished a lot. Kyle said 10 of the graduates obtained full-time jobs and one is on disability. One mother gave birth to a drug-free baby, and one person started his own company renting residential properties.
“These people have overcome long years of difficulty,” Kyle told the crowd.
Melki now has a full-time job and a girlfriend.
“Life is precious,” Melki told his fellow graduates from a podium. “It’s a gift, so cherish it.”
