Ceremony recognizes ATC graduates

– Photo by John Meiu


On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, the Oakland County Adult Treatment Court (ATC) conducted its 43rd graduation since its inception in August of 2001. The 192nd through the 196th graduates were honored with a ceremony and reception held in the Oakland County Courthouse’s Commissioners Auditorium in Pontiac. Taking part in the ceremony were (left to right) Kaleb F., Oakland County Circuit Court Judges Joan E. Young and Colleen O’Brien, and Eve F.  Kaleb was in the Oakland County Jail in January of 2014 when his brother died of a heroin overdose.  Grief stricken, Kaleb realized that it could have easily been him instead of his brother. Kaleb had begun using heroin with his brother when he was only sixteen years old. Kaleb, arrested at age 19 for committing a crime to support his habit, recalled he was injecting $200-$300 of heroin a day at the time of his arrest.  Facing prison or at least a year in the Oakland County Jail, he was fortunate when sentenced to the Adult Treatment Court. The program provides treatment and structure to drug addicts/alcoholics whom jail, prison, and probation have failed to help. Now clean, Kaleb is working, going to school, and dedicates his time working with FAN (Families Against Narcotics) speaking to youth and parents about his addiction and recovery. More than anything, he wants others to know to “Never stop working at it … as there is no completely lost cause and recovery can be achieved.”
 

––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available