(Cleveland) – The 47th Graduation Ceremony of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Anita Laster Mays, took place Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. at the Victory Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, located at 5246 Broadway Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

“We wanted to take the message of Drug Court to the community and that’s why we chose this church.   They have done remarkable work helping people overcome their addictions,” said Judge Mays, who will be leaving the program at the end of the year for a position on the Eighth District Court of Appeals.

Judge Mays presided over the Drug Court since 2009.

 “When I started, 90% of the people on the docket were addicted to crack cocaine.  Today 70% are addicted to opiates and 10% cocaine.  Of that 10%, about 2% is crack,” she said.

A total of 27 people graduated, which brings the total number of people who successfully completed the program to 1,425 since it began over 16 years ago.  Of that number, almost 80% remain sober and drug-free.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Daryl Jackson, Program Coordinator of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court Program.

“I wanted to talk to the grads about the people addiction affects, mainly family members,” said Daryl, who drew on his own experience.   .

Although it was a rough time in his life, Daryl says the experience made him what he is today. 

In 2011, Daryl was certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to practice Cognitive Behavioral and Motivational Therapy.  In September 2012, he received his Chemical Dependency Counselor’s license.  Daryl has a Master’s degree in social work, with a focus on mental health and he’s currently seeking his PhD in Psychology at Cleveland State University.

The Drug Court Program is a sanction-based year-long program that emphasizes treatment and accountability.  Should a participant fail a drug test, or is otherwise non-compliant, a sanction is imposed.