Click to Read: WOW! You Made National Drug Court Month and Our 30th Anniversary Truly Amazing
WOW. We're overwhelmed by all the amazing things you accomplished during National Drug Court Month. You took your communities by storm, raising awareness and planting seeds of hope; fighting stigma and highlighting what's possible in recovery; and celebrating the lives and families being saved by treatment courts for 30 years everywhere.
We're thrilled by the amazing support we saw this month from federal agencies, partner organizations, national associations and corporate sponsors. We'd also like to say thank you for engaging your elected officials and the media. From mayors and commissioners and governors making Drug Court Month proclamations to floor speeches on Capitol Hill to hundreds of stories and op-eds throughout the month of May, you helped show the broad bipartisan support enjoyed by treatment courts and reminded our leaders and our neighbors why these programs matter.
Finally, thank you for sharing with us all you achieved. We received an unprecedented number of submissions this month! We'll be uploading your submissions to a photo gallery on the NADCP website in the coming months.
Here are some final highlights:
| This May, thousands of people completed treatment court programs, walking out of the justice system and into lives of recovery across Iowa, California, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Arizona, Montana, New York, Missouri, Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, South Dakota, Arkansas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Minnesota, D.C., Hawaii, Guam, CNMI, Puerto Rico and more. |
| We're always moved by the work of veterans treatment courts nationwide to honor the selfless service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. From graduations to mentor appreciation events, from honor breakfasts to special media features and radio interviews, from walks to end veteran homelessness to the dedication of a powerful healing memorial, you're changing the way our justice system identifies, assesses and treats our veterans. |
| We love this new campaign from Virginia's Smyth County Recovery Court: Pay It Forward. Each court participant received at least 30 bracelets with the goal of performing one random act of kindness each day during National Drug Court Month and asking the recipient of their kindness to pay it forward. Said one participant, "I feel like I've taken so much from the community for a long time, and this is a chance to start giving back." We can't wait to watch this project grow larger each year. |
| From coast to coast, softball tournaments took center stage this month, showcasing the uniquely unifying nature of treatment courts. Participants, graduates, judges, law enforcement, probation, treatment and more came together (and went head to head) to show that no matter our role, we're all in this fight together. |
| Our friends in Guam were busy this May, including a "wave" event in front of the Guam Judicial Center, where probation officers, treatment court participants and other partners raised awareness for the programs. They also held an outreach event at a large shopping mall with resource tables for each court program, probation services, treatment providers and law enforcement on hand to provide information to the public! |
| Another service-oriented project that stood out: bed-building for children in need. South Dakota's Brookings County Drug Court participants, team members and family joined forces with experienced volunteers for the local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP). They sanded, drilled, stained and branded 11 bed frames to be distributed to area children in need of a bed. Bravo! |
| Know that in addition to the media, elected officials and treatment court professionals, celebrities are honoring the work you do and congratulating the treatment court movement on 30 years of advancing justice. Check out these great video messages from our "West Wing" ambassadors Allison Janney, Dule Hill and Mary McCormack! While you're at it, give them a retweet and thank them for using their platforms to highlight your work. |
Until next year... THANK YOU!