Success Stories

Real results from real participants.

Dear Drug Court,

I would like to convey to the Drug Court, how important this program was to me personally. Even though I have completed my court's requirements, the experience is with me every day.

Judge Beach, Marta Prieto, and [Probation] Officer Bates together were instrumental in my recovery. As I progressed through the drug court requirements, my life vastly began to improve.

Each offender must decide whether they are willing to do the work, and if they so choose, their lives will change for the better. This Drug Court will provide the structure to keep you in check.

My personal advice is to embrace this program, have gratitude, and envision the efforts this Court and its personnel are providing for your recovery.

If you find yourself court ordered to the Drug Court program you have a choice, and I hope you choose to let the Drug Court be your ticket to the stars or do you want a ticket that will send you behind closed bars. Only you can choose.

To me there was only once choice, go for the stars.

Thank you, Randolph Joseph Marson

P.S.
Become an all star!
Become well again!

A letter from “John’s” mother:

“John” was a wonderful, kind, smart, young man who began taking drugs at a very young age during a horrible divorce and two custody battles. His father moved out, and I went from being a stay-at-home mom to working full time. John went from getting an award for never making below a B in elementary school, to barely passing. I no longer knew who he was and felt him slipping away, but all of my efforts to help him only seemed to make matters worse.

After years of spending every dime I had on lawyers, bondsmen, fines, wrecked cars, rehab, and college that he didn't attend, I was forced to try tough love and John was literally homeless on the streets of Tampa. I was terrified for his life.

Because he was arrested and got into the Drug Court Expansion Program he is now clean and sober, has a great attitude, and I cannot see him ever going back to that life. I HAVE MY SON BACK!!! If he had gone to prison instead of getting the help he needed, the cycle would have continued. Drug court took the steps needed to not only get him off of the drugs, but to get to the bottom of the reasons he was taking them in the first place. My precious son's life was saved by the expansion program.

A case manager talks about a participant:

“Sally” has been on probation since 2007 but never went more than four months without violating the conditions of her supervision. She was addicted to cocaine and had very little drive to improve her life. Since entering the expansion drug court program she has had only one positive drug screen which was taken in her first week in the program. She has reconnected with a seventeen year old son that she had not seen in nine years. She has mended relationships with her daughter, mother, grandfather, ex-husband, and previous employer. Sandy is now a full-time college student working on her AA in addictions counseling. She has become a strong, independent person who realizes she, not her addiction, is in charge of her life.