Justin Heilbrun-Toft was all smiles yesterday morning. He graduated from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Drug Court Program as its 200th graduate.
“This is a happy day and a milestone for the program,” said Judge Edward Hogshire, who presided the ceremony.
Heilbrun-Toft entered the program on August 1, 2007. “I stole money and a car to get drugs,” he says. Since being caught, Heilbrun-Toft was submitted to daily drug tests, made weekly court appearances, attended intensive substance abuse rehabilitation and got a full-time job. In fact, he worked full-time as a restaurant manager and was a full-time student at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC).
“I was just accepted to [Virginia Commonwealth University] and I am actually going there right now,” he says with a proud smile. “I had the opportunity to start my life again.”
There were bumps on the road, said his caseworker during the graduation ceremony, but Heilbrun-Toft had a special gift: He took full responsibility of his actions and veered toward a clean and successful life.
“I want to thank my mom,” said Heilbrun-Toft standing in front of the audience, without her support, he added, he would still be involved with drugs.
More about the program after the break.
Jeff Gould administers the local drug court program.
The drug court program is an alternative to incarceration. It provides drug treatment and close supervision to non-violent drug offenders both in the city and the county.
The program enrolls about 45 to 50 people.
The state spends on average $22,000 on a year of incarceration versus a quarter of that in drug court.
But the program’s funding is once again in peril. During the current session of the General Assembly in Richmond, the House of Delegate submitted a budget without any funds for drug court programs. The Senate’s budget, however, was submitted with the funding intact. A final budget has yet to be released.