The confident strut, the dark khakis and the blue tie do little to hide the smile Devin Schneider is proudly sporting this morning. His swagger is unchanged by the metal detector. It is an important day for him, a day he said he’ll remember for a long time. He is drug-free and has been for a whole year.
Roughly a year ago, Schneider was arrested for possession, though he won’t tell a reporter of what, while studying at the University of Mary Washington. He pleaded guilty and was admitted to the Charlottesville/Albemarle Drug Court Program, where he was held responsible for his behavior and his sobriety. He submitted to daily drug tests, made weekly court appearances, attended intensive substance abuse rehabilitation and got a full-time job.
Devin Schneider graduated today from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Drug Court Program.
Schneider struggled at the beginning, getting sanctioned for relapsing into alcohol use, thus prolonging his stay in the program. But one night, as clichéd as it may sound, his life changed.
“Jimmy and I were in the same treatment group, and he needed a ride home, so I drove him and we just clicked,” says Schneider. James E. Crenshaw III is a fellow graduate of the program, but unlike Schneider, he was an inspiration to drug court officers from the start.
Crenshaw’s stellar performance was attributed to his determination to be a good father and son. His drug court officer shared his journey, praising his courage to admit he felt isolated and alone and his plans to go back to school and get a degree in computer science. “I plan on staying out of trouble and catching up on my child support,” says Crenshaw.
James Crenshaw was a model drug court participant with no relapses during the program.
Today, they both stood tall in front of a packed courtroom receiving praises from Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward Hogshire and featured speaker, Bob Gibson, former Charlottesville reporter and current president of the Sorensen Institute.
Gibson has covered the local court system for 31 years, attending many drug court graduations, meeting many former addicts and writing about them in The Daily Progress.
“This program allows people the opportunity to change their lives and gives us a chance to celebrate life,” he said. “The only job advice that I can give you is to work at what you like doing, do what you have a passion for.”
The drug court program is an alternative to incarceration, a more successful one at that, says Jeff Gould, drug court administrator. Schneider and Crenshaw were among the four graduates of the program, which enrolls 45 to 50 people. Gould is proud to say the program is not only more efficient in recovery rates than incarceration, but also in its cost: the state spends on average $22,000 on a year of incarceration versus a quarter of that in drug court. “This has a significant impact on tax payers too,” he says.
After graduating, Crenshaw and Schneider walk out of the courtroom hugging family, friends and dreaming about the future. Crenshaw’s mother holds Schneider close and looks him in the eye. “You gonna stay out of trouble and stay clean, you hear?” Schneider smiles and dives into a warm hug.
Both graduates are already planning their future. “I am going back to Mary Washington and [will] study economics,” says Schneider. “But my dream is to be a sports journalist.” Crenshaw’s dream, on the other hand, involves traveling—if not physically, at least in his thoughts. “I want to go on an island and hang back in the sun.”