Things are looking up

Published 7:33 am Thursday, March 18, 2010

Last Friday three graduates from the St. Clair County Drug Court program shared their stories with those still going through the steps to clean up their lives.

District Judge Phillip Seay told those gathered, “This is a very important event. It’s been a long 12 months for these folks. These three graduates have passed the gauntlet and are well on their way to a new life.”

Todd Hawkins was in the program for over a year before he was able to pass all the requirements, which included random drug tests, meetings and counseling. Drug Court, which celebrates its third year in 2010, offers an option other than jail for those who want to straiten out their life.

“This is a good program,” Hawkins told those gathered Friday. “When I first started, I didn’t want to do it; but it got me to a better place. Telling them I had a problem was the first thing I had to do.”

Hawkins thanked Judge Seay and Circuit Judge Jim Hill for the opportunity to show he could straiten his life out. “Nobody’s perfect, but this helps you deal with those problems in your life and not ignore them. It’s got me going to church again; it’s been a long time since I’ve done that.”

He said he worked two jobs to be able to pay his fines and Drug Court costs, but he encouraged those still going through the program to continue their efforts to get on the strait and narrow path. “It’s not supposed to be easy,” he said. “It’s a way for me to pick myself up and move on. It’s been a way for me to stop pointing out my failures and start looking at my successes. You have to find positive influences”

Daniels Rogers echoed Hawkins statements. Rogers worked his 50 hours of community service required in the system to help re-tile the Ragland High School field house.

“For me, this is what God wanted to happen,” he said. The day he was arrested, Rogers, who admitted he sold drugs for years, said he had gotten into fight with his wife about drugs and afterwards said a prayer and asked for help.

“I didn’t know that was going to get me arrested,” he joked. “But I took this seriously. I made it as much of a priority as I did with drugs. I was determined to get it done.” He said that he used to put everything he ever wanted before everything else. “Now I put everyone else before anything else. I think this program changed my life.”

Sandra Slettvet said that she started using crystal meth when she was 13 years old. By the time she was 15 she was using every day. Two years later her brother died in an overdose. “You would think that would make me want to change my life, but it didn’t,” she said.

“When I started this program I didn’t’ take it seriously at all and they knew,” she said.

Judge Seay joked that before she went into Drug Court “I would look at a docket and it really wasn’t a docket unless Sandra was on it.”

But she said that through Drug Court she was able to turn her life around. She told those who are still going through efforts to get clean, “It’s good having a support system. If I can do it, y’all can do it. Seriously.”