'All Rise' event to celebrate Oakland County Drug Courts

In recognition of National Drug Court Month, the Oakland Drug Court Association of Professionals (ODCAP) will host a celebratory event for all drug treatment courts of Oakland County on Wednesday, May 19, at Waterford Mott High School, 1151 Scott Lake Road in Waterford. The program, "All Rise," will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Michigan Suopreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly will be the keynote speaker. Other speakers include the Oakland County 51st District Court Chief Judge Phyllis McMillen and Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Joan Young. ODCAP is made up of a group of eight Oakland County drug and sobriety courts that include the Sixth Circuit Adult Treatment Court and Family Focused Juvenile Drug Court, and the district courts of Ferndale, Farmington Hills, Waterford, Novi, Clarkston, Rochester, and Troy. "All Rise," formally named by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), denotes the philosophy of drug courts to rise to the attention of every American in need of drug court and to see beyond the chaos and wreckage in their life to their potential, hope and humanity--and act. The "All Rise" program was conceived by ODCAP to recognize the spirit of what drug courts do and to honor the work done by Oakland County treatment courts on behalf of people overcoming drug and alcohol addiction. More than 600 members of the community have been invited to attend. Among those expected are congressmen, judges, elected officials, law enforcement officers, treatment providers, school officials, drug court teams, and drug court participants, graduates and their families. The program will begin with a recorded production of the national "All Rise" campaign created by the NADCP, showcasing various celebrity guests. Highlights of the evening will include a "Parade of Transformation" by drug court graduates, family members, law enforcement, treatment providers, etc., who will speak in retrospect about how drug court has changed their lives and how drug treatment court is the most important instrument in overcoming addiction. There will also be a presentation by each court as judges and drug court teams "All Rise" to acknowledge and celebrate the changed lives of their participants. The evening will conclude with a reception and performance by "Men of Grace," a musical ministry of Grace Centers of Hope. "We are very proud of our participants who celebrate commencement," stated Judge Young. "They have not only achieved sobriety, but are also positioned to be contributing members of our community. We all benefit in the end." Drug Court is a rigorous program offered as an alternative to confinement that balances intensive supervision, frequent drug testing and court appearances, with scheduled treatment and recovery services. In 2009, Oakland County's eight drug courts collectively admitted 1,207 participants. Together these participants maintained sobriety for more than 400,000 days and reported improvements in social skills, employer relationships, family functions, and the overall qualify of their life. Kelly, who highlighted the value of drug courts in her "State of the Judiciary" address last month, said that "Recent studies support what drug court judges already know through experience: that these programs reduce recidivism and crime victim costs. Investing in these programs makes good sense, not only for the participants, but also for taxpayers." Published: Wed, May 5, 2010

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