At a Hamilton County Recovery Court graduation in November 2021, a father, with tears in his eyes, embraced his son in his arms and said, “I’m just so glad to have my son back.” A group of clients was recently surveyed about the best change in their life since they began recovery court, and the response was unanimous: reconnection with family and children. These reconnections, and so many others like them, emanate the reasons why treatment and recovery courts in Tennessee are so important. A courtroom is not a place where one expects to find scenes of celebration and tears of joy; except it happens all the time in Hamilton County’s Recovery Court.
This May, treatment courts throughout Tennessee will join the nearly 4,000 such programs nationwide in celebrating National Drug Court Month. In Tennessee alone there are 82 recovery courts. This year more than 150,000 individuals nationwide will receive lifesaving treatment, the chance to repair their lives, reconnect with their families, and find long-term recovery. National Drug Court Month is a celebration of the lives restored by treatment courts, and it sends the powerful message that these programs must be expanded to reach more people in need.
More than 30 years ago, drug courts were created with a simple premise: Rather than incarcerate individuals who suffer from substance use disorder to cycle through the justice system at a great expense to the public, use the leverage of the court to keep them engaged in treatment long enough to be successful. “Drug court saved my life” is an often heard phrase in our program.
Today, drug courts and other treatment courts have proven that a combination of accountability and compassion saves lives while also saving valuable resources and reducing exorbitant criminal justice costs. In Hamilton County’s Recovery Court, clients are not only able to work for the first time in years but also able to save for future financial goals like a home or a car. It is not uncommon for parents to be reunited with their children and for children to have their parents present during the holidays instead of visiting them in jail. Recovery Courts help our clients develop and realize goals that they previously thought were impossible to achieve. Many clients make meaning of their recovery journey by training to become Certified Peer Recovery Specialists. Who would have thought that recovery from a lethal disease would lead to a satisfying career of saving lives?
Numerous studies have found that treatment courts reduce crime and drug use and save money. They also improve education, employment, housing, financial stability, and family reunification. Treatment courts represent a compassionate approach to the ravages of addiction.
For 2022, the Hamilton County Recovery Court is redoubling its efforts and reshaping its approach by expanding its outreach to reach more justice-involved citizens who struggle with substance use disorder, offering evidence-based treatments that cater to this specialized population, and developing new community partnerships to connect our clients with the services of greater Chattanooga area.
Kevin Webster, LPC-MHSP, MAC
Hamilton County Recovery Court
Recovery Court Clinician