Counselors at the Main Jail organized the first combined Alcohol and Drug graduation, held July 27 in the gym area. They appreciated the dozens of guests who came to share in this accomplishment with those who have put in the work to assist on their new journey towards recovery. 28 male detainees recently completed this Drug and Alcohol treatment program, and thus a graduation was celebrated for these men. “The Alcohol and Drug program is an eight-week, evidence-based curriculum, ‘A New Direction based upon Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,’ from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hazelden Publishing,” said Tamela Hilson, Jail Counselor and Supervisor. Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., Assistant Chief Reginald Hubbard, Assistant Chief James Ross, Chief Policy Advisor Debra Fessenden, Expeditor Mischelle Best, and other Sheriff’s Office and Jail personnel attended the event. The celebration included caps and gowns, the recitation of a poem and reflections by detainees, and presentation of certificates. Counselor Coleman Thompson commended these men for their dedication and discipline in making progress in turning their lives around. Guest speaker Al Lewis encouraged them to continue the good work they’ve begun, and Sheriff Bonner urged them to focus on their future life after jail. This program is currently one of many life-skills programs provided by the SCSO Jail Programs Office. A similar graduation program was held in May at the Jail East for Women facility.
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