T.I.E.S. Court Graduates Celebrate Success and Fresh Starts
Judge Stephen McIntosh and docket coordinator Marquita Clay recently celebrated graduates of T.I.E.S. Court.
The Franklin County Common Pleas Court recently celebrated several graduates from its specialized docket for substance use treatment.
The graduation ceremony, led by Judge Stephen McIntosh, the court’s presiding judge, and Marquita Clay, the specialized docket coordinator, honored five graduates who completed each phase of the program.
The graduation was attended by family, friends, court staff, treatment teams, and those currently participating in the specialized docket. All were able to hear the impact the program had on the graduates’ lives.
“This experience has given me the hope and tools to build something positive for myself,” one graduate noted. “I’m excited to see what’s ahead. This is just the beginning.”
T.I.E.S. Court, which stands for Treatment Is Essential for Success, focuses on treatment for substance abuse to address the causes of the crimes that led a person to end up in the criminal justice system. The specialized docket was implemented in Franklin County in 2004.
Since then, the leaders of T.I.E.S. Court have guided participants through the treatment process in an intensive program lasting on average two years. Through meetings with court staff and treatment teams, and continued abstinence from substance use, participants with the motivation to change are able to learn healthier lifestyle choices and eventually have their probation terminated, according to the specialized docket’s website.
As part of being involved in the specialized docket, participants are connected with community resources and work to establish a healthy social network.
Each graduate had the chance to speak at the ceremony. Although the graduates experienced different journeys as they traveled through the program, all expressed excitement for their lives going forward and gratitude for the resources and support received in the program.
To emphasize the lasting community established by T.I.E.S. Court, Judge McIntosh left the graduates with a message: “This is not the end; the journey continues. Whatever support we can provide for you, we are still here.”