PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Prosecutor Juelie Dalzell didn’t think Sarah Crawford would make it through the county’s adult drug court program.
“I was against letting her into the program,” Dalzell said at Crawford’s graduation on Thursday.
“I didn’t think she’d be successful, but I was proven wrong.”
Said Crawford, 23: “Without drug court I’d probably be dead.”
In operation since 2003, the Jefferson County Drug Court provided an alternative to jail time for some drug offenders.
Instead of jail, offenders are required to submit to a strict treatment program, which includes a weekly visit to Superior Court to talk with Judge Craddock Verser.
The drug court is an inter-agency operation, involving the court, prosecutor and the Safe Harbor Recovery Center, which administers the program.
At present, 22 people are in the program.
They have an average stay of about 18 months, Drug Court Administrator Ford Kessler said.
Two graduated from the program Thursday.
One of the high points of the ceremony is when Dalzell dramatically tosses the graduate’s criminal file into a trash basket.
This figurative gesture has deep meaning, Crawford said.
“It’s important to remove the felony from your record,” she said.
“Otherwise you won’t ever get a good job.”
Crawford is currently working three jobs, and taking the most important advice given to her by the court — to avoid the drug lifestyle and stay away from friends who are still using them.
Crawford’s classmate, Leanne Hoffman, was equally jubilant about her accomplishment and her comment to Kessler reflected the volatile nature of the Drug Court process.
“I’m happy that you have become my biggest advocate rather than my biggest nightmare,” she said to him.
Much of the program’s operation is through volunteer labor or, in the case of Dalzell and Verser, incorporation into their regular work day.
‘All in this together’
“Everyone in the community plays a part in this,” Kessler said. “It works, because we are all in this together.”
“We need this program,” said Crawford’s mother, Rosita Colatrella.
“The future of the community depends upon it, so it can help people to get off drugs.”
Dalzell said it was hard to predict who will succeed or fail in the program. She had thought Crawford wouldn’t make it because of her youth.
“The younger they are, the harder it is for them to quit,” Dalzell said. “They feel invulnerable. Someone in their 30s are sick and tired of being in the life.”
Dalzell is happy to be mistaken when someone she expected to fail succeeds.
“It was very frustrating for me to talk to her at first,” Dalzell said of Crawford.
“I could see how bright she is, and she will be able to accomplish a lot if she continues on this path.”
The courtroom was filled with relatives, well-wishers and former graduates, with nearly all in celebratory mood.
This changed following the graduation, as the courtroom emptied and two unsmiling spectators remained.
The two, who were shackled for their court appearance, were adult drug court participants who had not complied with regulations and faced the possibility of returning to jail.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.