MITCHELL As guests file into the meeting hall at the Davison County Fairgrounds, organizers grab more chairs. The crowd is bigger than they anticipated more than 100 people are here for this Thursday afternoon ceremony.
Outside in the 40-degree weather warm for January the graduates sneak in one last smoke break.
Deputy Sheriff Grant Lanning walks in 30 minutes before the ceremony in full uniform, wearing his bulletproof vest, Taser and firearm. He catches up with his fellow law enforcement officers and texts with friend Dexton Hicks. They met nearly 20 years ago on their way to National Guard basic training. Theyve been texting daily the past couple weeks.
Good luck brother, Dexton writes.
A few days ago, Grant marked his 12th anniversary of being sworn in as a law enforcement officer. A lot of signs, he replied to Dexton.
The program
Today is not about a diploma or a degree. Its much bigger, more valuable. Today is about second chances and 18 months of hard work.
The four graduates all women completed 860 hours of treatment all told, spent 954 hours sharing in support groups, and stayed sober from drugs and alcohol for a combined 2,228 days.
Today they graduate from James Valley DUI and Drug Court. The problem-solving court, as the state calls it, was created in 2007. Participants, who have felony driving under the influence and drug convictions, avoid prison by going through community-based, intensive outpatient treatment. They must volunteer for the program and be accepted.
They have to want it
There are extensive requirements, including regular court appearances, substance abuse and mental health treatment, intensive supervision including random drug and alcohol testing, keeping a job and connecting with the recovery support services. If they fail on any count, a judge can send them to prison. The focus is on rehabilitation instead of punishment, which also saves taxpayer money.
Completing the program is a big deal, worthy of a graduation celebration. The court holds a handful a year, each with a keynote speaker. Sometimes its a past graduate whos able to relate to life after court. Other speakers have included sheriffs, judges and community members.
While planning for this January graduation, administrators discussed their options and thought Grant would make a solid keynote speaker.
As the jail administrator, hes seen the graduates, sometimes multiple times in the Davison County Jail, and hes been a supporter of the program, rarely missing a graduation.
Court coordinator Sharon Kraft emailed Grant, We generally ask that you speak 10 to 15 minutes.
No problem, he replied.
Hed have a few weeks to write it.
Familiar faces
Todays ceremony begins with Donna Bucher, the James Valley Drug and DUI Court judge, welcoming the crowd and introducing Grant.
His friend Dexton wanted to be here. Hes gone through a similar experience and encouraged Grant to speak out. But Dexton, who lives in Kansas City, couldnt make the drive. So while Judge Bucher mentions his bio in the graduation program, Grant, standing in the back, pushes record on his phone.
Why would we invite someone like him to speak at a graduation? Bucher asks. Hes law enforcement through and through. He is also a wonderful human with a caring heart, and he wants to see people be successful.
The judge calls Grant to the lectern, and the audience applauds.
A lot of familiar faces here, Grant smiles. This is probably one of the only happy times some of you have seen me.
Hes met them in jail and even arrested some of them, and not just the graduates. The audience is full of family, friends, alumni and current court participants.
Grant continues on with what youd expect at a graduation speech, what the graduation coordinators were hoping for. Grant tells those in the audience their job is to support the graduates. He points to the nearly dozen law enforcement officers standing in the back.
Theyre not here to see you fail. Theyre here to support you.
What no one knows, not the coordinators or his colleagues, is that Grant walked up to that oak lectern with two speeches.
One contains the message the court envisioned: That when people down on their luck make poor choices in life, it doesnt define them.
Thats the one he wrote first, the easy one. The one that gave him an out. An opportunity to delay his truth, a reprieve from revealing his secret. Because the second speech Grant wrote is more honest and life-defining.
After being introduced, Grant walked up with both speeches tucked in a black notebook. When he pulled the pages out, on top was the truth, what hed been hiding for years.
Grant took it as a sign. Lets do this. Lets see what happens.
Megan Luther is a freelance journalist based in Mitchell. She has been in recovery for five years. Contact Megan Luther at [email protected].
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