It’s not business as usual in room 230C at the Elijah E. Cummings, Jr. Courthouse. There are cupcakes and other treats where counsel would normally sit. On a Tuesday morning, the clerk announces names, not for a docket with upcoming cases but for those who have graduated from adult drug treatment for the Circuit Court of Baltimore City.

Friends and family of the graduating class of 10; clap, cheer and high five one another. Judge Yvette Bryant joins in, commending the graduates on their accomplishment. After 18 months of adult drug treatment court, former addicts can turn their lives around.

“It takes a lot of work to have a look in the mirror,” Bryant said. “When they're coming to this program, [they] have to do the hard work of figuring out how and why they got here. It can be a tough road. It can lead to setbacks. It can lead to relapse. But we keep going because everyone in this program is valuable.”

In his graduate remarks, Michael Atkins, shared that it took a lot of discipline to become sober. The 60-year-old said he began getting high when he was just 14. “A lot of family members passed, while I was doing what I was doing,” Atkins said with regret. He then encouraged a future class to utilize their newfound opportunity wisely.

“I’m not going to tell you that it’s easy because it’s not. But please, give yourself a chance.”

In 2022, a statewide evaluation of adult treatment courts showed a 13% reduction in recidivism, over a two-year period. The report also showed that programs saved Maryland taxpayers more than $21 million in criminal justice costs.

Click here to read the full report.