State Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, was in attendance this week at Lawrence County Municipal Court when a determined young teen’s criminal record was officially expunged after she completed the rigorous rehab course administered by the Juvenile Problem-Solving Court.
The young woman had reason to celebrate. She became one of only 12 candidates enrolled in the program to stay the course and earn a certificate.
She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to John Plummer III, juvenile referee of Lawrence Circuit Court, and his problem-solving team of Scott Wedgewood, Sarah Cullison, Kelly Storms, Chad Shew, Megan Hawk, Debra Andry, Larry Lafferty, Kirsten Collier, Katie Messmann and Ashley Bridges.
Together, they provided the troubled teen with the inspiration and life lessons needed to ditch her self-destructive habits and begin down a path of progress toward a brighter future.
Koch, who sat silently near the rear of the courtroom, also merits her gratitude. The Bedford statesman has been instrumental in fashioning the state measures that provide these second chances for juveniles and adults alike.
The programs, which rely on sanctions and rewards, offer hope for those sincerely seeking a new lease on life.
“The data is behind this,” Koch noted. “The data shows it works.”
And, at a time when more than 160 prisoners occupy the county jail, each offender steered elsewhere diminishes the stress placed on jail staff and the citizens paying for inmate incarceration.
Koch said the problem-solving courts help satisfy the constitutional requirement of rehabilitation as a goal of the criminal justice system.
“Over the long haul it saves costs to the system rather than cycling people in and out,” he explained. “In the long run, this is very taxpayer-friendly and life-changing for the individual.”
The problem-solving courts permit judges to probe and address underlying causes ranging from economic circumstances to addiction. However, the program does not dole out free rides.
Earning a certificate of achievement is a long and laborious task, requiring a willingness to shed self-destructive habits and accept new means of coping with life’s most arduous challenges.
“I knew what I was doing was wrong,” the recent graduate explained, “but I couldn’t stop.”
Not on her own. She needed help, and it was provided.
“This has been life-changing,” she said. “I’m no longer involved with drugs. I now work through my problems with people who care about me.”
Her achievement is a victory for us all.