Superior Court Judge Joseph Wilson with recovery court graduates Leonel Garcia Villasenor and Michael Camacho.
Photo courtesy Snohomish County Superior Court
EVERETT — The graduates of Adult Recovery Court will tell you the program isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. By balancing accountability and compassion, this therapeutic court helps participants break cycles and change their lives.
On Thursday, June 12, Adult Recovery Court hit a milestone: a total of 1,000 people have now graduated.
“That’s hundreds of lives changed, potentially hundreds of lives saved,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “I am proud and grateful for the work the Adult Recovery Court does, and of the many graduates who have put in the effort to overcome the challenges facing them. They have improved not only their own lives, but the lives of their loved ones, friends, and neighbors. This kind of program makes our community a better place.”
For more than 25 years, Adult Recovery Court has provided therapeutic and legal services for people affected by substance use disorder and involved with the criminal justice system. More than 2,000 people have participated in the program and since 2001 have paid over $455,000 in restitution.
“This is a rigorous program to complete. Evidence-based tools allow for us to screen high-risk, high-needs participants into the program,” said Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Joseph Wilson. “We require participants to show up, be honest, and accept accountability. Adherence to these principals allows our participants to interrupt criminal behavior and begin the process of rebuilding new lives and becoming citizens we can all be proud of. Without this program, these folks would continue to cycle in and out of the criminal justice system. We are immensely grateful for the support from the community and our partners in developing and maintaining the program.”
Two people graduated from the program Thursday afternoon. Rather than naming one of them the 1,000th graduate, they shared the honor and together celebrated reaching 1,000 total graduations. Court staff, local leaders, the graduates, and other guests gathered to recognize the program and celebrate recovery.
“I could have gone to prison and done my time. The last time I got arrested was April 16, 2023, the officer that arrested me saved my life,” said Adult Recovery Court graduate Michael Camacho. “Just one day, and I won’t lie, sometimes, it was 30 minutes at a time. But if you work the program and you really do it, you will be up here and say, ‘Today I celebrate 787 days of clean time.’”
The program has a lasting impact for graduates and for the community. Of the graduates who entered the program in 2019, 92% have not had a new felony conviction since. And for those who completed Adult Recovery Court in 2024, they’d achieved a combined total of 12,455 days of sobriety at the time of their graduation.
“Compassionate accountability in the justice system is possible with therapeutic courts,” said Therapeutic Courts Program Administrator Jamie Reed. “We provide the participants with the path to begin healing, address their actions, and make amends. The path is difficult but essential for the transformation to begin.”
