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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


July 28 - Aug. 3, 2010 Page C-3


Poetic Reflections Poetic Reflections


‘Willie’s Plan’


It is so sad for me to see So many of us are a they And not a we


I guess Willie Lynch’s plan To this day still stands


Separated by gender isn’t enough We had to buy into this ignorant stuff Dark versus light, or black versus yellow You are not from this side of town You are not the same as that fellow Fieldhand and house man Oh hell, I’ll keep it real…I figure You know who you are


SEATED (from left) are Chief Judge Marylin E. Atkins, 36th District Court; Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly, Michigan Supreme Court; Honorable Leonia J. Lloyd, presiding judge, 36th District Drug Treatment Court. Standing (from left) with graduates are Kim T. Chapman, director of Probation; Honorable Saul Green, deputy mayor, City of Detroit; Honorable Izetta F. Bright, judge, 36th District Court; and the Honorable Lydia Nance Adams, judge, 36th District Court.


ALL RISE: 36th District Drug Treatment Court Changing One’s Quality of Life


Graduation is not the end,


it’s the beginning. This was no typical springtime gradu- ation. These people were not graduating for getting good grades, but certainly for pass- ing tests.


Who are these people?


They are people who may have started out as social drink- ers like you, but who are now seriously addicted. They are people who may have suffered an injury but got addicted to their pain medication. They are people who committed crimes but had at their core an addiction that was the baseline problem. They are courageous people who have submitted themselves to the close su- pervision and treatment that makes it possible for them to now hold their heads up, look themselves in the mirror and live soberly day by day.


Recently, the award win-


ning 36th District Drug Treat- ment Court held a graduation ceremony in observance of National Drug Court Month. Michigan Supreme Court, Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly and Detroit Deputy Mayor Saul Green made congratula- tory remarks to 14 graduating men and women infused with a renewed sense of purpose; former drug court participants, now Drug Court Graduates.


The ceremony marked their


completion of an intensive 12- 24 month program of compre- hensive drug treatment, close supervision and full account- ability. This is the court’s 41st graduation ceremony since it was founded in 1998. The Honorable Leonia J. Lloyd has been presiding judge of the Drug Treatment Court pro- gram since 2005.


National Drug Court Month


is coordinated on a national level by the National Associa- tion of Drug Court Profession- als (NADCP), which was estab- lished in 1994 to assist the planning, implementation and operation of Drug Courts.


This year, Drug Courts


throughout the nation cel- ebrated National Drug Court Month with the theme: “All Rise: Putting a Drug Court Within Reach of Every Person in Need.” What started in a Florida courtroom 20 years ago has become the nation’s most successful strategy for dealing with substance abus- ing offenders. The uplifting commencement ceremony is a testament to the life-chang- ing business under way in the 36th District Drug Treatment Court and sends a strong mes- sage that drug courts should be expanded to serve more people.


In October 1997, the 36th


District Court established its Drug Treatment Court (DTC) as a pilot project. The primary goal of the DTC is to identify substance-abusing offenders and involve them in substance abuse treatment. The DTC is designed to hold offenders ac- countable for their behavior while providing them with re- habilitative services necessary to maintain a law-abiding and substance-free lifestyle.


The 36th District Drug


Treatment Court works close- ly with agencies that focus on the needs of men and women with acute substance abuse problems. When the court is presented with difficult cases where the clients have several addictions, Judge Lloyd has found the services of the mul- tiple agencies of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) to be excellent.


Like the other 2,459 op-


erational Drug Courts in the United States, the 36th Dis- trict Drug Treatment Court hears cases of offenders charged with drug-related crimes. Drug Courts relieve already overwhelmed court dockets, placing offenders in an environment, where they


Please join me in urging Andy Dillon to keep fighting for the families of Detroit – and all of Michigan.


PAID FOR BY ADVANCE MICHIGAN NOW. NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE’S COMMITTEE. 26481_MichiganChronicle_Final.indd 1 7/23/10 11:55:14 AM


Detroit needs friends in Lansing, and in


undergo treatment and coun- seling, submit to frequent and random drug testing, and are monitored closely for program compliance. Offenders report for monthly status hearings with the judge who meets di- rectly with each defendant to discuss his or her progress in various court ordered pro- grams.


The 36th District Drug


Treatment Court is making an impact in the lives of the par- ticipants, their families, and the community. DTC, along with intense supervision and drug treatment, increase posi- tive results and allow those individuals who would other- wise be sentenced to incar- ceration to become productive citizens.


Drug Courts are saving


millions of dollars, saving families and saving lives. In- carceration does not work; it can not and will not cure ad-


diction. However, the constant judicial oversight along with drug treatment is the winning formula.


Leonia J. Lloyd. Presid-


ing Judge - Drug Treatment Court, 36th District Court


Judge Leonia J. Lloyd main-


tains the passion and inspira- tion to help those who cannot help themselves. Her creativity in establishing programs for the citizens of Detroit is the number one reason why her drug court program is being studied around the world for possible implementation.


For more information re-


garding the 36th District Drug Treatment Court program con- tact Darlene Conyers in Public Relations at (313) 965-2607 or Publicinfo@36thdistrictcourt. org.


Big man in the house or just a field nigger I still see the lines being drawn According to education or your zip code For me, this crap really gets old But, who can talk with the common man And still walk with kings


Equality and respect should be the main thing The next time you feel better than your fellow Sister or brother, remember…if it wasn’t for people like


Willie Lynch, you could have the same father or mother © 2010 Arvis Perry


‘I’m That Southern Child’


I may not have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and my dialect speaks of a tone from the deep, Deep South.


The roads that I’ve trotted may not have been the best and the clothes that I’ve worn were not the most nicely dressed.


When I was in my younger times, yay high with a more youthful mind,


I was told, “Put a broom in your hands and perform me a little picaninny dance, because in this world your kind ain’t got a chance.”


ANYWAY!


I refused to let those negative claims have my happy day.


Yes, I’ve had many obstacles that stood and tried to block my door. But when has that ever stopped a strong


dove that wanted to soar. That would be me!


I come from a people of pride, strength from the strong, that have aggressively cried, and those that have left legacies that unselfishly died.


And still I’ve been told I’m nothing. My identification reads dark. My color reads dark. My race reads dark.


More distinctive and descriptive than any physical mark, So you see I know it’s in me to be great. So for all you haters don’t hate. I’M A PROUD SOUTHERN CHILD.


© 2010 Kayatta Brooks


Arvis Perry


AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MAYOR DENNIS ARCHER


Andy Dillon, we have one.


P P P P


As the Democratic Speaker of the House, Dillon has worked closely with legislators to create more opportunity for Detroit – and our region.


Dillon crafted a new budget that protects state aid to schools in Detroit and across the state.


He passed a bill supporting a new bridge to Canada, which would mean ten thousand construction jobs.


Dillon is taking on the insurance companies to stop them from using credit scores to set insurance rates.


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