PORT TOWNSEND — Amanda Bowers didn’t think she had a problem.
For two years after she was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol — “a long-time coming,” she said — Bowers complied with orders provided by Judge Mindy Walker in Jefferson County behavioral health court.
Then she had a breakthrough moment, one that was deeper than the alcohol addiction that began with drinking daily by the time she was 15.
Bowers, 34, completed the final step in a 3½-year process Tuesday as she became the 14th person to graduate from the program instituted by former Judge Jill Landes in 2013.
“I’ve known you since I first came to Jefferson County, or close to it,” Walker told Bowers during the graduation ceremony Tuesday. “To see you now — a kind-hearted, thoughtful, intelligent person — is really encouraging.”
About 40 people packed the county’s district courtroom during a day that also included regular check-ins with those in the program.
Nineteen people are now enrolled in the program that has a capacity of 20 and four cases are pending, District Court Administrator Brian Gleason said.
The behavioral court program is different from drug court, which is administered at the Superior Court level and has seen 82 graduate since it began in 2003, according to the county website.
Voluntary basis
The behavioral health court is voluntary, although it allows those who are eligible to enter into judicially supervised, community-based treatment.
It could involve drugs, alcohol or mental health conditions, Gleason said.
A judge, a prosecuting attorney or defense attorney, or other community partners such as Discovery Behavioral Health or Believe in Recovery can provide a recommendation for an individual to enter into treatment, Gleason said.
Law enforcement officers also have input. Sheriff Joe Nole and reserve Port Townsend police officer Bill Corrigan both attended Tuesday’s ceremony.
Bowers stood in front of the courtroom alongside Walker and accepted a gift bag in addition to encouraging words from both court administrators and other members of the program who were seated in the audience.
Chris Ashcraft, the county’s chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney, signed a waiver for the state to forgive more than $3,000 in fines Bowers had accrued.
“Everyone who comes to this court, we want them to succeed,” Ashcraft said. “The question for a while was, did you want to succeed?”
Bowers later admitted it was difficult for her to see there was something about her life that wasn’t right.
She married a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy when she was 18; it ended in divorce in 2012, according to county records.
“It fell apart because of my drinking, but that still wasn’t enough to get me to stop,” Bowers said.
After she was charged with DUI, she entered into the behavioral health program.
“I fought it tooth and nail,” she said. “I was miserable. I thought, ‘Have these people ever been sober before? Why would you ever want to do that?’”
Typically, those who enter the program can graduate in 18 to 24 months as long as they continue to progress and be in compliance with the court, Walker said.
Bowers was a little different.
“Relapse wasn’t a problem for me,” she said. “It was everyday life. Making appointments, going to therapy and meetings. I had an excuse for why I couldn’t do anything.”
Bowers said she knew many people associated with the justice system because she had been married to a deputy, so it was “very humbling” to sit on her side of the table.
“It was very likely I was going to be miserable for the rest of my life,” she said.
Bowers said she complied at first — “to get out of jail initially.”
Eventually, she wanted to accomplish small goals each day.
“It started to dawn on me, and I just kept going for a while because I believed this was my last opportunity,” she said.
Bowers still doesn’t know why, but one day she told someone about an abuse that occurred when she was a child.
“My biggest fear was that it was going to be cliche,” she said.
“As I started talking about it more, I realized it leaked out into every aspect of my life.”
Sometimes she would go to Safe Harbor Recovery Center in Port Townsend and sit there for hours because it was a place she felt secure.
Day by day, her outlook improved.
Now she said she would go through the program again, even if she knew ahead of time it would take her 3 1/2 years.
“My compassion for others has grown tremendously,” Bowers said. “When people are having a conversation, I think, ‘What’s my part in this situation?’ It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad or indifferent.”
During the ceremony, Nole rose from his seat and praised Bowers for her strength to overcome.
“You’ve made some huge, positive strides, and now you have this confidence we didn’t see back then,” he said.
“I’m so proud of you. You never quit — never even came close to quitting — even if you thought you were.”
Ashcraft also was complimentary.
“Whatever it was, you turned the corner, and it was so inspiring,” he said.
Bowers accepted her certificate from Walker and immediately turned to the rest of the people in the courtroom, encouraging them to keep moving forward.
“Don’t give up. Just keep going,” she said. “You’ll graduate eventually.”
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
