Jackson City Court encourages recovery from drug addiction

JACKSON, Tenn.– “Our main goal is to help these patients get the best treatment possible,” Michael Dennison said.

He says there are cases when a person goes to jail, and Pathways Behavioral Health Services has an opportunity to help them through recovery.

“The judge and the district attorney feel that treatment might be in their best interest, they will reach out to Pathways and the recovery court to facilitate that type of treatment,” he said.

Some of the participants in the program spoke with WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Reporter Julia Ewoldt after Judge Anderson gave an update on their progress.

“I’ve been in and out of rehabs and of jails the past year, and recovery court has worked wonders for me,” Summer Morris, a new member of the drug court program, said.  “I signed up for drug court. I wasn’t sentenced for drug court. I signed up for it and willingly went into drug court because I knew that they would have the help that I needed.”

Morris has been in the year-long program for a week. Participants say the program has helped piece their lives back together.

“I was lost, broken, didn’t love, didn’t care,” Nicole Canery, another participant, said.

Canery says the program has allowed her to have a relationship with her children.

“I can be in their life and learn how to be a parent, and they have helped me with them.”

Deanna Knight says drug court taught her how to stay clean.

“They let you know that you’re more than that. You can do better than that,” she said.

It has changed Knight’s family’s life as well.

“These people are a blessing to my life, to me and my husband’s life, every day.”