Eight Livingston County residents marked a major milestone this week, graduating from a program designed to help them rebuild their lives.
Livingston County Treatment Court held its 52nd graduation ceremony on Feb. 11 at the Livingston County Courthouse in Geneseo.
Friends, family members, law enforcement, program staff and community supporters filled the courthouse to celebrate the graduates. Each participant completed a 12-to-24-month intensive recovery and personal growth program.
The treatment court serves people with non-violent, drug-related offenses. The program combines accountability with treatment and rehabilitation as an alternative to incarceration. Participants undergo judicial supervision that includes drug testing, weekly reporting to court and probation officials, and community service.
Livingston County Court Judge Jennifer M. Noto oversees the program and addressed the graduates during the ceremony.
“In treatment court there’s no easy way out – there’s no magic wand that’s going to get you to that finish line,” Noto said. “You have to work for it. It’s a daily grind that hopefully gets easier over time but nonetheless requires conscious decision making and effort day in and day out. And each of these graduates are here today because they committed to the grind. They said yes to the hard work. On behalf of the entire treatment court team, we are so proud of you. You should be so proud of all that you’ve accomplished.”
Each graduate had the chance to share their story. Participants reflected on the choices that brought them into the program and the changes they’ve made to turn their lives around.
“I can’t begin to explain the riches that have been provided to me through sobriety,” said one participant. “What was once chaos and missed obligations has turned into a steady beat of presence and dependability… Treatment court has given me a life worth living and a purpose rather than an escape.”
Family members and friends also spoke. One mother thanked the court system for allowing her son to enter the program instead of serving jail time.
“I want to personally thank the Livingston County court system for allowing [my son] to join this program when he needed it and giving him the opportunity to work on his addiction issues instead of facing jail time and incarceration,” she said. “This has been a long journey but it doesn’t end today just because it’s graduation. For anyone who struggles with addiction, recovery is a life-long commitment.”
With this class, more than 250 residents have completed Livingston County Treatment Court. County officials say the program focuses on long-term recovery, family stability and community safety while working to reduce repeat offenses.
The program relies on collaboration among multiple agencies and partners. Those include Livingston County Court, the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Department, Sheriff’s Office, County Clerk’s Office, Mental Health and Community Services, Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston and CASA-Trinity.
Livingston County Probation Director Lynne Mignemi highlighted the team effort behind each graduate’s success.
“A team approach can be overwhelming, but it provides many layers of support for participants to reach out to,” she said. “All the members have areas of expertise they bring to the table to support the many needs of the participants and to assist with consistent messaging. The team hopes that the collaboration amongst members allows the participants to feel that they are not alone and that support extends beyond graduation day.”
For more information, visit the Livingston County Treatment Court webpage or call 585-371-3976.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].