MIDLAND, Texas — The Midland County Drug Court held its fall graduation ceremony Monday evening at the Midland County Horseshoe Pavilion.
Family members and friends came out to watch and support as the Midland County Drug Court graduated nearly 20 members out of three courts Monday evening – adult felony drug, DWI and transitional treatment.
It was an emotional night at times, and Midland County Drug Court Judge Elizabeth Rainey says it’s a rewarding night for the staff that help these folks successfully recover.
“It makes our job worth it," Rainey said. "You’ve heard the stories starting with people who were just adamant that they were not going to make the changes that were necessary to developing that change in their heart to standing up here today and being able to share their story of success, it makes my job the perfect job.”
Cynthia Gutierrez -- a graduate of the Adult Felony Drug Court -- has battled with addiction most of her life, and says that when she had her daughter, she knew something had to change. The drug court helped her make that transformation.
“It dramatically changed my life because I am not the person I used to be," Gutierrez said. "I don’t know w ho that person is to this day, I can’t believe I was so bad you know, but now I’m a manager at Little Caesars, I’m a full-time mom you know like, I’m a really good mom at that too so I’m proud of myself of who I became.”
Krisandrea Sanchez -- a graduate of the DWI Court -- started drug court in 2019 and said that even halfway through the program she didn’t think she had a problem. However, she began to see how the system was changing other people, and now the program has changed her as well.
“I’m grateful for this program, and I do recommend it to anyone who does feel alone or feels like maybe the system is the answer," Sanchez said. "Maybe they should reach out because it’s a rehabilitation program.”
The drug court focuses on tools for sobriety and success, as well as education, family, life skills, financial and budgeting. The program was established in Midland County in 2018, and Rainey says that it has grown from four initial participants to 117 today.