POTTSVILLE — Three more people seeking to turn around their lives of addiction entered the Schuylkill County Drug Treatment Court on Thursday, bringing the number of people in it to 30.
Curtis G. Hahn, 31, of Frackville, has three separate cases filed against him. He faces three counts each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, two of delivery of a controlled substance and one of conspiracy.
Jeremy C. Hess, 31, of Orwigsburg, also has three cases filed against him. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one each of conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft from a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property and theft by deception.
The third new participant, Joyce M. Lindenmuth, 55, of Frackville, has four cases filed against her. The charges include two counts each of conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and one each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.
Judge James P. Goodman accepted them into the program and warned them that their roads would not be easy ones.
“You have serious drug problems,” he said to them.
Schuylkill County officials started the drug treatment court program this year to try to combat the widespread drug-addiction problem, using a carrot-and-stick approach. Other counties in Pennsylvania also have instituted drug treatment courts.
Those in that 14-month program must undergo substance abuse treatment, make regular court appearances, submit to random drug testing and home visits, meet with probation officers, and comply with directives from the court and those officers. Participants must complete all five phases in order to graduate from the program; graduation is the carrot, resulting in dismissal of the charges against them.
However, since the defendants enter guilty pleas to the charges against them, failure to complete the program is the stick, resulting in them being sentenced, quite possibly to time in a state correctional institution.
Other people already in the program spent Thursday’s session reading their weekly required essays. In their essays, they discussed the feelings of not being able to share their struggles with anyone else and the realization that they need to do so.
“I’ve always been in a solo fight with myself,” Angelina said. Now, however, she said she is willing to seek help for her problems.
Jordan wrote that he has been surprised by the reactions he gets.
“People don’t mind helping me out,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
To Alex, reaching out means being able to get help from people close to him.
“I have the support of my family backing me up,” he said. “This is the only disease that can be talked away.”
Randy also stressed the importance of not fighting substance abuse alone.
“I isolated myself from my friends and family,” he said. “I’ve learned it’s OK to ask for help.”
Contact the writer: pbortner@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6014