(Cleveland) – The 60th Graduation Ceremony of the Greater Cleveland Drug Court, under the direction of Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lauren C. Moore, will take place Wednesday, February 27 at 4:30 p.m. in the Cuyahoga County Jury Assembly Room located on the fourth floor of the Justice Center.

A total of 24 people are expected to graduate, which brings the total number of people who have successfully completed the program to 1,743 since it began in 1998.

The keynote speaker for the ceremony will be Brendon Berns a member of the Drug Court Advisory Committee and graduate of the Cuyahoga County Drug Court in 2014.  Here’s how Mr. Berns views recovery:

“Sometimes the wrong choices get us to the right path.  For me, the wrong choices led me to Drug Court which got me on the path to recovery.   Recovery is not an accident.  It has taken action and continued action along with service work on a daily basis.   My sponsor has taught me that gratitude is an action word and to show through my actions how grateful I am for a life in recovery.   I did not do this alone. It was through the love of my parents, opportunity from Drug Court, power of example from my sponsor and all those who came before us in the 12 step community.”   

Participants in the Greater Cleveland Drug Court generally spend 12 to 20 months in the program. Longer cases may occur due to the fact that opiate addicts generally need more treatment time.  This year, four of the graduates entered the program with felonies, while the others were charged with lesser offenses.

Specialized dockets like the Greater Cleveland Drug Court are dedicated to handling offenses related to substance abuse, and use a combination of techniques for holding the offenders accountable while also addressing the underlying causes of their behavior.

Ohio has 244 specialized docket courts, including 170 drug courts. The success of specialized dockets is demonstrated by reduced recidivism, improved treatment, and cost savings.