The 14th Circuit Drug Court honored more than 45 students at its 17th graduation Monday, hosted by Judge Michael Taylor and Judge David Strong Jr.

Students and their families gathered in the Horace Holmes Student Union Hall on the Southwest Mississippi Community College campus in Summit to be recognized and hear the encouraging words of keynote speaker Chip Glaze, director of the Mississippi Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program.

Glaze began his speech by congratulating the graduates and students progressing on to the next stage of the drug court program.

“Before I say anything else, congratulations,” Glaze said. “Seriously, congratulations. You’ve done something phenomenal. You’ve done something that a whole lot of other people don’t have the opportunity to do, a whole lot of people that don’t choose to do if given the opportunity. You have given yourself an opportunity for a life that is better than the one that you may have dreamed of as a child, even in your favorite fairy tale. I can assure, that life is now available so congratulations.”

He then reintroduced himself in a manner he believed the graduates would understand.

“Hi, my name is Chip, and I am an alcoholic,” Glaze said.

The crowd responded in unison, “Hi, Chip.”

Glaze said why he wanted to be introduced in that manner.

“I knew there were folks that would be able to respond to that,” Glaze said. “If I make it to the seventh of next month, I will be sober for 18 years. That’s a whole lot of one-days at a time. Do you know what’s really cool about that? When I say that and you reply as you did? What’s really cool about that is the connection — that healthy connection, because that is what we all need.

“There is a great researcher and social worker out there — her name is Brene Brown, and I would highly recommend her work to you. She says the need for love and belonging is an irreducible human need. It ranks right up there with air, food and water. That connection that we have just because we share that one thing — those of you that said, ‘Hey, Chip,’ — is that we’ve been in the same room. Maybe not the exact same ones, but the same. The great news today is those rooms are going to be open to you from now on.”

Throughout the speech, Glaze praised the graduates for taking the opportunity to better themselves and encouraged them to continue seizing the new life given to them, like he did, and not fall on old patterns.

“I want to tell you that all the opportunities for misery, they’re still out there,” Glaze said. “They’re still making whiskey, the dope man’s still on the corner. You have a different opportunity now. I’m going to encourage you to not look at this and say, ‘Wow. The judge is out of my hair. I can start using again. I can have a drink. I can do this, and I won’t get caught,’ because if you do that, and you suffer from the disease from which I suffer, you’re headed for consequences. That’s the only way it goes. We die; we end up in jail; we end up in institutions. But you’ve had the opportunity. You seized it, and I hope that you will continue to seize it tomorrow and the day after and the day after.”

At the end of Glaze’s speech Taylor and Strong presented the graduates with certificates of completion. The drug court honored 16 students who moved from phase two to phase three of the program, 11 students who moved from phase three to phase four of the program and 20 students who graduated from the program.

Drug court coordinator John M. Douglas recognized two participants who died while completing the drug court program and honored their families with a graduating certificate on their behalf.

Taylor concluded the ceremony by encouraging graduates to continue on a straight path and realize that they are examples of the drug court program.

“It takes at least three years to finish this program,” Taylor said. “That’s a lot of Mondays, a lot of drug tests and a lot of meetings. In 1999, when this program started in this district it was the entire state’s first drug court. When I started in 2005, I told the participants sitting where you are sitting, this will either succeed or fail on a statewide basis based on what happens to the people in the program. I’m proud to report, as of two years ago, the drug court program is available in all 82 counties, and it started right here. That’s something we can be proud of. And, not to weigh you down, but you are still an advertisement for this program, either a good one or bad one, when you walk out of here.”

Drug court is a special court responsible for handling cases involving those who commit non-violent drug-related offenses, according to the State of Mississippi Judiciary’s website. The drug-using offenders undergo long-term treatment and counseling, sanctions, incentives and frequent court appearances. Participants who successfully complete the program will have their charges dismissed, receive reduced or set aside sentences, lesser penalties or a combination of these.