8 graduate from New Way to Recovery Drug Court Docket

The eighth graduating class of the New Way to Recovery Drug Court Docket of the Highland County Common Pleas Court was honored at a ceremony Sunday, Dec. 7, as there were eight graduates recognized. 

The group included James Braley, Lindsey Hornsby, Joey Ison, Ricky Jones, Chad Penwell, Katie Smith, Lula Spruance and Jake Wright.

The first drug court session was held in August 2019, and the program includes four phases that take a minimum of 18 months to complete.

According to Highland County Probation Program Director/Chief Probation Officer and Drug Court Coordinator Tonya Sturgill, there have been 115 admissions and 27 unsuccessful terminations since the drug court began, while 61 individuals have successfully completed the program thus far.

The guest speaker for the Dec. 7 ceremony was one of those graduates, Kimra Snyder, as she entered the program in March 2023 and graduated in October 2024.

The latest class of graduates includes individuals who were admitted to the drug court docket in 2022, 2023 and 2024 as Sturgill highlighted the progress all eight graduates have made through the program, as she said several of them had long histories with the court and probation department.

“It is these men and women who put in the hard work every single day to not only stay clean and sober, but to accomplish so many great things along the way,” she said.

That included half of the graduates recognized with the Hammond Award. At their May ceremony, the drug court introduced this as a new award in honor of an accomplishment that a would-be graduate, Josh Hammond, had during his tenure with the program before passing away in February before his graduation. The Hammond Award is now presented to all graduates who successfully complete the program with no positive drug tests, and the December class included award recipients Wright, Penwell, Hornsby and Smith.  

Of the eight graduates, the individual who was in the program the longest was Wright, who was admitted in January 2022 “after 20 years in active addiction” and a history with the court dating back to 2005. His tenure included a two-year stint in prison for another case, after which he rejoined the program in 2024 and made fast progress. Along with having no positive drug screens and surpassing the four-year sobriety milestone, Wright had several others achievements, including “obtaining his OL, gaining employment, completing his transitional program, renting his own home and meeting his 2-year-old daughter for the first time and establishing a relationship with her,” Sturgill said.

Similarly, Braley completed a residential treatment program and has now obtained his OL, purchased a car and found employment as well as “a fresh start with his young children,” according to Sturgill.

Penwell was highlighted as a unique graduate in multiple areas, as he is the only member of the class who completed the program without entering residential treatment. Despite the difficulty of maintaining recovery while remaining at home, Penwell did so with no positive tests. He was also unique in the sense that he is one of only two individuals to be admitted to the drug court twice, as she said his “first attempt only lasted 49 days,” but Sturgill said that Penwell is now “committed to a new way of life.” 

Sturgill said that Ison “had quite a bit riding on him being successful” as he was facing charges in four different counties. She added that he “has come a long way” since being admitted to the program in November 2023, including completing treatment, getting an apartment, obtaining an OL and working toward getting released from probation in other counties.

Spruance had a history with the probation office dating back to 2006, so Sturgill said she has had “an absolutely amazing recovery journey,” as Spruance’s “life is absolutely unrecognizable from what it was just two short years ago.” In addition to finishing residential treatment and transitional living, Spruance has obtained her OL and high school diploma, found work and an apartment, and purchased a truck in the past two years.  

Hornsby is another example of someone “committed to making changes” after a rough start, as she left court-ordered treatment in 2022 and had a warrant “for the better part of 2023.” However, since being admitted to the drug court in 2024, Hornsby has found housing and employment, obtained her OL and is working toward being “a more active and involved mother to her children.”

For Jones, Sturgill spoke about “his recovery journey,” as she said he started out trying sobriety at home, then reentered residential treatment and “had one more slip while transitioning back home” before he “truly committed” to recovery. Sturgill said she is “so proud” that Jones is now “a true advocate for recovery, always sharing his journey with others and being a role model in the sober community.”

Similarly, Smith had “build up some pretty strong walls” during “her years of addiction,” and Sturgill said she had been concerned Smith “hadn’t yet turned the corner” after her residential treatment. However, Sturgill said Smith has “made a remarkable transformation while in drug court, breaking down those walls” and being fully committed to her recovery. In addition to “really embracing the sober life,” Smith has obtained her OL and is “excelling” at her place of employment, Sturgill said. 

As previously reported, according to Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss, “the mission of the drug court docket is to enhance public safety by preventing recidivism; assisting participants in taking responsibility for their behavioral health issues by turning them from a path of self-destruction to a path of recovery; creating a continuum of approved treatment and rehabilitation services through community programs that meet the needs of participants; and using evidence-based practices in intervention and treatment of substance abuse and other co-occurring mental disorders or medical issues that offenders may have.”

Sturgill thanked Coss for his continued efforts to ensure the program’s success.

Also thanked were Jon Parr and Kim Davis of the Probation Department, whom Sturgill says “work around the clock” to support the drug court participants, as well as the treatment providers who assist with the program.

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