another stamp in closing the revolving door of the criminal justice system this week pic County along with a handful of others hosted graduation ceremonies for participants in their recovery Court programs which focus on getting people with non-violent drug related offenses into treatment and rehab instead of behind bars if they plead guilty and enter the program under strict supervision the court drops the charges as graduates tell Ted Goldberg it's the kind of life-saving support Court they'd never get otherwise pay County Recovery court has produced some happy graduates it's really happy man like it it feels good Jimmy cheni is one of 20 plus people to get through this program that helps nonviolent drug offenders avoid prison this probation is very intense it's uh it's hard at first but once you get through it as long as you give them clean YNS do what you're supposed to do it gets easier as you move through the phases I gave up on myself I lost the desire to fight Ivan Cody was struggling with addiction and looking at nearly a decade in prison instead a series of meetings and treatments helped keep him clean by helping somebody else out I was up myself and know yes we have spiritual classes one of ones with the counselors um we used to go out to NA meetings different towns one of the requirements of recovery court is is multiple drug tests each week which can interfere with holding down a job so you have to find a boss that's willing to allow you to leave work to take a YN three times a week but it gives you structure and it just gives you the tools you need to get through we're working in like Denville area or something like that or morrist town I'm 40 minutes from Patterson and they call me and say James you have to come in now for a UR now I got to drive 40 minutes here then sometimes I'm you're in probation for 15 minutes that's an hour then a 40 minutes so I'm missing 2 hours of a work day the work's not getting complete graduates tell me the brutal honesty that's also needed isn't always easy it's the same in the rooms of Na it say keep it simple stupid why I ain't stupid I just keep it simple none of these graduates are stupid and they say this program helped to turn around their lives being honest with my PO uh even when I didn't want to be I thought it' be easier to lie but no being honest and just doing the right thing even when no one's looking I have two bank accounts I have two life insurance policies three years ago I a have none of this you know I'm about to get my license back recovery Court graduation is probably the most special kind of C ceremony there is in the entire Judiciary System Wednesday's graduation was a celebration of the hard work that they've put in for two to five years incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over I've seen firsthand how difficult it is and the obstacles that are faced and the mental anguish and the physical anguish that that having an addiction causes and how it impacts your your loved ones and your families what you did is not easy and I'm going Pat myself on the back and hope it bounce off of you everybody can't do what you just did lamarvin be is a substance abuse counselor who also graduated from this program about 20 years ago he appreciates the recovery Court which was renamed from drug court they were looking at it a little wrong they were trying to stop people from using and stop addiction no teach recovery teach them that they can get better and that they can move on with their lives and soon as the shift from addiction to recovery takes place people win more the next step for these graduates is to tell their story when you speak if only one person can acknowledge what you said then you did the job With a Little Help from recovery Court in Pay County in Patterson I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news