Drug and specialty courts are a lifeline for individuals who get in trouble with the law due to their addictions.

On Thursday, the Carbon County Commissioners recognized the two courts with a proclamation naming May as National Drug Court Month.

Commissioner Rocky said that Carbon County is a role model for this type of court, and commended Rick Parsons, chief adult probation officer, for helping to spearhead the cause.

Carbon County’s veteran treatment court began in 2017; while drug treatment court began in 2019.

This week, the courts held a graduation for seven individuals who successfully completed the program.

Parsons said that the individuals in the program are turning their lives around, and it is due to a team effort with the courts, drug and alcohol and mental health services, Veterans Affairs and more.

He cited the group coming together to come up with a plan for a person to help them move through their struggles and get the help they need.

“The key here is it is individualized,” he said. “We identify what does that individual need and try to address those problems. Not everybody succeeds, but we try our hardest to make sure that we can, at the end of the day, say we tried our best.”

He spoke of one graduate’s story, where she was in and out of prison, had seven cases against her, overdosed and died before being resuscitated, and is now clean and sober, reunited with her children, holding a job and getting her life back.

“All those things would not have happened if she didn’t have the support and guidance of the treatment court,” Parsons said.

He said that while the proclamation says treatment court saves a county approximately $6,000 for every individual they serve, he feels the price tag is much greater because it not only helps keep costs down on the county for services, the prison stays and other agencies; but it also saves a life.

“There is no way you can put a dollar figure on this type of change,” Parsons said.

The Carbon treatment courts can help approximately 50 people at a time and will be at max capacity within the next few months.

“This is what the courts can be and should be,” Parsons said. “It’s all about changing lives and making our communities better and safer.”