On Wednesday afternoon, Louie Martinez stood before Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman, tears streaming down his tattoo-covered face.

It was a familiar setting for Martinez, who had spent years battling addiction and had stood before judges on numerous occasions awaiting sentencing for drug-related convictions. This time, however, he was there to celebrate a milestone: his graduation from Cass County's Swift & Sure Sanction Probation program.

“I’m recovering from a 22-year meth addiction, and I’m 20 months sober,” Martinez proudly told a courtroom full of family, friends and treatment court staff. “I spent years running the streets, doing dumb things, running and gunning. I never showed any emotion. Today, I’m proud to stand before you because this program saved my life.” 

Martinez was one of three men recognized Wednesday during a bittersweet ceremony marking the final graduation of the program, which is ending after 13 years due to state funding cuts.

Administered by the Cass County Circuit Court, SSSP provided intensive supervision and treatment support for high-risk felony offenders with histories of probation violations related to substance use. Through frequent random drug and alcohol testing, regular meetings with probation and case management staff, and swift, predictable consequences for violations, the program offered participants an opportunity to address their addictions while remaining accountable to the court.

For Judge Herman, who has witnessed the program's impact firsthand, Wednesday's celebration was also a difficult farewell.

“It’s bittersweet because it’s a program I think near and dear to my heart — near and dear to a lot of people’s hearts — and it’s a program that has made a big difference in a lot of people’s lives,” Judge Herman said. “It’s very frustrating to the court to realize that the state has decided to do away with funding for the program, because what that does is it leaves me no option but to send these people to prison next time.”

A Lasting Impact

While the afternoon's three graduates were the guests of honor, Wednesday's ceremony also brought together former participants whose lives have taken dramatically different paths since completing Cass County's treatment court programs.

Program Coordinator Preston Collett said that without family treatment court, there is a strong chance he would not be alive today. 

“It put a great team around me and provided support for me, but it allowed me to grow and become the man I think I was always called to be,” he said. 

This sentiment was echoed among many former graduates, including Cass County’s first-ever SSSP graduate, Jamie Smith, who graduated on June 24, 2014. After graduating from the program, Smith became a preacher. 

“Had I gone to prison, I would have gotten out in 2022. That’s the year we opened our church,” he said. “None of that would have happened without this program.”

In total, 175 people have gone through Cass County’s SSSP program. Of those, 107 have graduated, but Wednesday’s ceremony recognized an impact beyond statistics as program alumni reflected on relationships built and lasting effects of their sobriety. 

The Work Continues

For Calvin Haff, another of Wednesday's three graduates, those relationships have been instrumental in his recovery. Haff credited his family, friends and program mentors with helping him achieve sobriety and expressed hope that his experience would inspire other family and friends who are battling addiction.

“I remember a time in my addiction when I waited on the side of the road for hours for someone to come and get me,” Haff said. “Not too long ago, I called [my program mentor] Tommy, and before I could even ask him, he said, ‘I’m on my way.’”

That sense of belonging was a recurring theme throughout the ceremony, with graduates and staff repeatedly describing the program's participants as a second family and a team.

Judge Herman emphasized that although the program is ending, the relationships and support systems its participants have built will remain. 

“I often reference the ball bat theory. Things are going good and all of a sudden somebody comes and hits you in the head with a ball bat. What do you do? That’s what these people are for,” he said, gesturing to SSSP and Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network staff. “And if you can’t get a hold of those people, you can walk into this courthouse any time, and you tell them you want to see me. I’m here for you guys as well.”

Program staff echoed that message, reminding graduates that the end of Swift & Sure does not mean the end of their recovery journeys or the community they have built together.

For Martinez, who once stood before the court facing the consequences of his addiction, Wednesday was an opportunity to look toward a different future — one made possible by 20 months of sobriety and the people who helped him get there. 

“I know Swift & Sure is ending today, but I believe our lives are just beginning,” Martinez said.