LYNN — “I say this all the time, nothing good happens in a courthouse, except today. Today is a great day.”
Presiding Justice Matthew Nestor greeted a packed courtroom with those words on Wednesday afternoon, during the Graduation Ceremony of the Lynn Drug Court. Six of the seven graduates seated before him were celebrated for their hard work in overcoming their varied drug addictions.
Jillian Booth, Nicholas Carino, William Decotis, Antonio ‘Tony’ Grey, Adam Leal, Jenell Thames, and Cynthia Keith ( not in attendance), each have a story to tell. They are just a handful of many recovering addicts who have succeeded through the Lynn Drug Court since its inception in 1999.
The city’s drug court was established in response to the escalating use of heroin and other drugs in Lynn and surrounding communities in the ’90’s, according to the ceremonial invitation. Using a multi-faceted team approach, the program integrates drug testing, appropriate treatment referrals, judicial oversight, intensive probation supervision, and enforcement of graduated rewards and sanctions.
James LaMothe, Jr., the Lynn Drug Court Justice since 2010, said the goal of the program is to reduce recidivism by helping substance abusers maintain their sobriety. During the ceremony, Judge LaMothe said, in Lynn alone, 70 people died last year of overdoses, with almost 50 overdose deaths to date in 2018.
“This is something deep and personal for a lot of people in this room,” said State Rep. Dan Cahill during the ceremony. “Today this is a celebration for the graduates, the community, and most importantly the families, because sometimes you bear the biggest burden and brunt of recovery.”
Grey, a Natick native and current Lynn resident, said his story started out when he was 11 years old, when he was prescribed Adderall, which is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. After that, he said he was always looking for something else.
“It feels great to be here and finally graduate because this has always been one of my goals,” said Grey. “It’s reassuring to feel supported.”
Growing up, he said his grandmother, and many of the family friends who surrounded him, suffered from substance abuse. It became the norm for him, he said.
Things took a turn for the worse when, at 16, he tore his meniscus playing football and needed surgery. For pain medication, he was prescribed 180 10-milligram Percocets.
“As soon as I had them, I was just eating them left and right,” he said. “I couldn’t stop myself.”
By the time he hit the age of 20, he grew a toxic love for opioids and before he reached his mid-20s, he was hooked on heroin. That is when all of his morals went out the window, he said.
From his early teens to his mid-20s, Grey was in and out of jail for a number crimes, many of them related to theft. He said his crimes became more serious when he started using heroin because he stopped caring about his actions.
His biggest guilt has been not being there for the first few years of his 5-year-old daughter’s life, he said. In and out of sober houses for the last few years, Grey said he didn’t find a “home” until he landed at the Chelsea House, where he plans to stay post-graduation so he can save up enough money to buy a house.
After he was locked up for violating probation last August, Grey asked the Lynn Drug Court for help. Fifteen months later Grey is a Lynn Drug Court graduate, and he did it all with the unconditional support of his girlfriend, Reading resident Kerry Ann.
“Being with another addict is filled with support because only they can relate,” said Ann. “Addiction is just so hard, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
Ann, 17 months sober and a mother of two, and Grey, 19 months sober, said they have been each other’s support systems since they met at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, right before Grey began the drug court program. Ann said she is proud of her boyfriend and he made it all look so easy.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” said Grey.
