Drug Court program in Polk County helps people who once struggled with addiction get a fresh start
The Polk County Intensive Supervision Drug Court program has been around since the late 1990s. It helps people who once struggled with addiction.
The Polk County Intensive Supervision Drug Court program has been around since the late 1990s. It helps people who once struggled with addiction.
The Polk County Intensive Supervision Drug Court program has been around since the late 1990s. It helps people who once struggled with addiction.
A program that’s been in Polk County for decades with a goal of helping people who once struggled with addiction turn their lives around has seen another group successfully graduate and start on a new beginning.
The Polk County Intensive Supervision Drug Court program has been around since the late 1990s. The program is geared toward people who are struggling with addiction and may have related convictions or have been through the criminal justice system due to related incidents.
On Friday, nine people graduated from the program. The graduation was held at the Drake Legal Clinic at Drake University. The room was packed with friends and family of the graduates, their sponsors, and the program’s team, whom the graduates repeatedly thanked.
“Today’s a very exciting day for me. It’s like the start of a new life for me,” said Melissa Kruse, one of the graduates. “I have a whole lot to look forward to now.”
Kruse and fellow graduate James Green entered the program in May 2023.
“I didn’t know much about the drug court program, but my lawyer had introduced it to me and I’m very thankful for that,” Green said.
“When I was introduced to the option of the drug court program, I was at the lowest point of my life,” Kruse said. “I had made some very bad decisions that had led me to the lowest point and I had no idea what this program could for me. Two years later, I have a whole new life with my family and with my friends. I have new people that I consider my family.”
Jeff Schultz has been with the program for several years and is now the program’s coordinator.
“I think the thing that we try to do is identify the individuals who have lost enough,” Schultz said. “They’ve been to prison. Not everybody has to go to prison, but I think the ones that tend to be more successful in the program have been to prison. They’ve been in the criminal justice system possibly multiple times before and they’re just looking for a different way to live life.”
Schultz said people in the program go through a screening by each staff member, which includes a county prosecutor, a judge, a defense lawyer, and a probation officer. He said once they’re clapped in, they typically remain in custody until they go to inpatient treatment.
“Then they start meeting with the P.O. They’re going through therapy. They’re living in a halfway house or sober living house,” Schultz said. “They are going to meetings — meeting with a sponsor once they obtain one. They’re going to work.”
They also meet with a judge, like District Court Judge Jeff Farrell, for court sessions once a week, held at the historic courthouse.
“They have to speak to the judge about all the things that they’re required to do, such as having a job, attending therapy, attending treatment, and things like that,” Farrell said. "My role is more to make sure they’re following those rules, but also to encourage them. It’s not to judge them.”
Schultz said there are three other rules that Farrell makes sure to emphasize: show up, keep trying, and be honest. He says if any of the rules are broken, the judge can put them in jail for a brief period and then get them back to being involved in treatment.
“To achieve graduation, the individual has to progress through five phases. They have to have been going to meetings, working, and taking care of obligations,” Schultz said. “They’re all assessed 75 hours of community service. That has to be completed. They would have completed their primary substance abuse treatment.”
It’s a lot, and people in the program must stay consistent, but graduates on Friday say it’s worth it and completely life-changing.
During the ceremony, all nine graduates gave short speeches. They thanked their family, friends, sponsors, and more. They also made sure to highlight some of the program’s team by individual name, making sure to thank them and share how they impacted their lives and helped them get to this point.
“All these people have become like family to me. Going through this type of program and the things that we’ve experienced — the things that we’ve worked through — these people know everything and they still love me,” Kruse said. “It’s just an honor to do this process in this program with them, and I’m so excited for all of them and their futures, too.”
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