Snohomish County Adult Recovery Court celebrates 25 years

Snohomish County’s Adult Recovery Court is celebrating 25 years of providing therapeutic and legal services for people affected by substance use disorder and involved with the criminal justice system.

The court marked the milestone with a celebration Thursday afternoon. Court staff, local leaders, recovery court graduates and other guests gathered to recognize the program’s legacy of hope of recovery and to look toward the future.

“Drug court gave me the opportunity to completely change my life and allowed me to access the services to become the person I was always meant to be,” said DJ Rivera, an Adult Recovery Court graduate. “Today I am a dad, a son, a brother, an employee, a coach and many other things that allow me to give back to my community.”

Since its inception, more than 2,000 people have participated in Adult Recovery Court, and 981 have fully completed the program.

“Drug courts, and therapeutic courts, are evidence-based interventions which provide an off-ramp from the legal system to effectively address behaviors that are harming our community,” said Superior Court Judge Joseph Wilson. “Drug courts provide support, resources, accountability and structure needed for participants to break the cycle of substance use and crime, and they reduce recidivism and produce a return on investment 100% of the time.”

To be considered for entry into Adult Recovery Court, someone involved with the criminal justice system in Snohomish County must be referred by their defense attorney and complete a screening and intake process with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

“The program is not an ‘easy out.’ Most people say prison or jail is the easier route,” said Jamie Reed, program administrator for Superior Court’s Therapeutic Courts. “Throughout the program, the participants work through the reasons ‘why do I use,’ which means unpacking their trauma, repairing relationships and being vulnerable. It is courageous, hard, and emotional work for the participants and team members. Recovery Court offers compassion and hope to people describing themselves as hopeless and unworthy. By creating a therapeutic community in the court, we provide the essential needs of connection and belonging, so the participants feel support to do the hard work to change their lives.”

The program has a lasting impact for graduates and for the community. Of the graduates who entered the program in 2018, 96% have not had a new felony conviction since. And for those who completed Adult Recovery Court in 2023, they’d achieved a combined total of 7,279 days of sobriety at the time of their graduation.

“We are facing a drug epidemic, and Adult Recovery Court is a powerful tool to help us address that challenge. It changes the lives of participants, the lives of their families and loved ones, and the community,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “Recovery court balances accountability and compassion, and we need both if we want to make a difference in this crisis.”

The program is a collaborative effort that involves multiple county departments and committees, including Snohomish County Superior Court, Sheriff’s Office, Executive Office, County Council, Human Services, Prosecutor’s Office, Office of Public Defense, Finance Department, Chemical Dependency and Mental Health Advisory Committee, Community Safety and Justice Committee, and Law and Justice Council.

Learn more about Adult Recovery Court here.