9 graduate Will County drug court

Nine individuals from throughout Will County graduated from Will County Drug Court in a January 30 ceremony at Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet.

The ceremony brings the number of people who have graduated from the Drug Court program to 490. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program.

“The opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on the lives of people throughout Will County and our nation. Deaths from heroin and fentanyl in Will County have been on the rise since 2015, and the vast majority of these deaths involved fentanyl,” said Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow. “Anyone who uses heroin will become addicted. It changes your brain chemistry and destroys your rational thought processes. Our Drug Court is literally saving lives by helping to remove individuals from the deadly cycle of addiction, and helping participants reclaim their lives.”

Judge Sarah-Marie Jones, who oversees the Drug Court docket, presided over the ceremony. James Navarro, who graduated the Will County Drug Court in March 2018, spoke at the event about how Drug Court saved his life. Participants in the ceremony were from Joliet, Plainfield, Wilmington, Homer Glen, Braidwood, Rockdale and Mokena.

Glasgow spearheaded the creation of the Drug Court – Will County’s first Problem Solving Court – when he wrote and administered the grant that funded its formation. In Drug Court, prosecutors and defense attorneys work with the judge and treatment providers to help non-violent offenders battle their addictions. Those allowed into the program are screened and must remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find employment, follow through with treatment and attend weekly Drug Court sessions.

In addition to Drug Court, Glasgow petitioned the court for the formation of the Will County Veterans Court, worked with the chief judge to establish Mental Health Court, and wrote the grant for the Redeploy Illinois Court to steer qualifying repeat offenders away from prison and into gainful employment.