Veterans Justice Court in the news!

Thirty-three graduates were honored at the San Francisco Veterans Justice Court's annual celebration, which took place on November 8, 2017 to commemorate Veterans Day. The event was highlighted in an article published by SFGate and another report published by ABC 7 News.

One of the graduates honored that day was San Francisco resident and VJC graduate Clarence Cook, Sr. Mr. Cook faced 25 years in prison, but instead enrolled in VJC and is now about to celebrate a year of sobriety.

"The only thing that saved me was this lady,” [Mr. Cook] said, referring to his case manager, Jenna Ferrara. “Got me in veterans court. Best thing that ever happened to me.”

"Judge Jeffrey S. Ross jokes with graduate Clarence Cooks with fellow veteran and graduate Andrew Cross at the celebration held at the Hall of Justice on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017 in San Francisco, CA." / Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special to The Chronicle

Links: 

"Special SF court gives military veterans a 2nd chance" (SFGate)
"Criminal court program gives veterans 'a second chance'" (ABC 7 News)

Veterans Justice Court celebrates first graduation ceremony

Photo: Sarah Ravani / The Chronicle / Sarah Ravani / The San Francisco Chronicle

Last month, San Francisco's Veterans Justice Court (VJC) held its first graduation ceremony for formerly incarcerated veterans who completed the program. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Jeffrey S. Ross presided. VJC's celebration was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

As the article describes, VJC "works with incarcerated veterans to develop a customized treatment plan to assist them with whatever troubles they may be facing once they are released from prison — whether it’s homelessness or substance abuse."

“Incarceration is not the way to deal with most crimes. I believe in working with people so they don’t come back to incarceration," says Judge Ross.

Click here to read the full article.

BHC celebrates 9 new graduates!

The San Francisco Behavioral Health Court celebrated 9 new graduates on May 23, 2013.

• 8 graduates entered BHC with felony cases, and 1 entered with a misdemeanor. 
• 44% of graduates obtained employment through their participation in BHC.
• 33% enrolled in school or vocational training.
• 100% graduated with a stable income source.
• 89% graduated with stable housing; 1 graduate is still participating in residential treatment.
• The median time in BHC for this group of graduates was 1.86 years.

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative court clients.

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m.
Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 15

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Prop 36/OTP Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative court clients.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony
Monday, October 4th at 2:00 p.m.
Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Prop 36/OTP Graduation Ceremony
Thursday, September 23rd at 10:00 a.m.
Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 18

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony
Thursday, November 18th at 2:00 p.m.

Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 15

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative courts' clients.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, April 12

2 p.m.
SF Health Commission @ 101 Grove Street

Offender Treatment Program Graduation Ceremony (Prop 36)

Thursday, April 22
10 a.m.

Department 18, Hall of Justice

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, May 13
2 p.m.
Department 15, Hall of Justice

Fall 2008 Graduation Ceremony Takes the Cake

The largest Drug Court Graduation Ceremony yet--46 participants! Commissioner Albers welcomed everyone and began the ceremony with congratulatory remarks. Each new graduate was presented with a certificate of completion and 2 roses-- one to keep and one to present to a person who was significant in their recovery. The ceremony concluded with a loud applause as Commissioner Albers granted motions by the District Attorney and Probation Department to dismiss all charges and to terminate probation on the basis of completion of Drug Court.

(Drug Court Graduate thanks his supportive loved one for helping him successfully complete the program.)

(Drug Court participant thanks the hard working team and Commissioner Albers for giving her the chance to improve her life.)


The San Francisco Superior Court would like to extend a warm congratulations to all of our Fall 2008 Drug Court Graduates!

In Their Own Words

Each Drug Court graduation, we compile a "snapshot" of the graduating class, attempting to capture their personal, individual and difficult journies in some sort of track-able and standardizable way. We ask each Drug Court graduate to fill out an "Exit Questionairre," answering questions like: "What was your income source when you entered Drug Court?" and "What is your income source now?". Responses are honest and blunt; many check the boxes "Theft" or "Drug Sales" or "Prostitution" as their income source upon entering Drug Court. Though some may enter with jobs, or on Disability, or General Assistance or SSI, most do not have a steady source of income. We use this data to track Drug Court success stories. In addition to being clean and sober, upon graduation, Drug Court's goal is to have each client housed and employed.


Though limited, it's important to remember the data "snapshot" at graduation. While watching the clean, well dressed, and smiling graduates come to the front of the room yesterday, accept their certificates and speak to the audience about their path to recovery, one can forget that upon entering, 52% of them were homeless and 17% were marginally housed in temporary shelters -- today, all are housed. One might forget that nearly 40% of the graduates entered Drug Court with no steady income source, 30% relied on selling drugs, prostitution, panhandling or other illegal activities, and 26% were on disability or general assistance. Upon entering Drug Court, not a single client was employed (legally) -- today, 48% have steady employment, and the rest have all been enrolled in general assistance or SSI. At graduation, we are witness to a group of 23 clients who have struggled with long, difficult addictions to Heroin (35%), Cocaine/Crack (35%), Methamphetamine (22%), Alcohol (4%) and Marijuana (4%), found themselves in the criminal justice system, and finally had the strength to challenge their addiction. Four clients have returned to school, and over half of those participants with children have reunited with their families. This data is telling; it speaks to the overwhelming odds of failure these graduates have struggled against, and beat, and to the difficult work and challenges of getting back on track.

But one thing the data can't show is the individual, each different and each remarkable in his or her courage and dedication. So, instead of going through what happened at yesterday's Drug Court graduation, and talking about all of the words of congratulations that the Drug Court team, Commissioner Albers, or San Francisco's District Attorney Kamala Harris, had to say, I'm going to post a few of the things the graduates had to say:

"I definitely wouldn’t be as successful if it weren’t for this program."

"When I first got in, all I wanted was to get clean. But recovery is so much more. I wouldn’t be here if Drug Court and Good Shepard weren’t in my life."

"I had been homeless for 20 years. Drug Court has done so much for me. I’m now indoors, and employed."

"This is the first thing I’ve completed in my whole life."

"When I came into Drug Court, I was six months pregnant and a mess. Today, I have a healthy five month old. Drug Court was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I want to thank the Drug Court team for giving me a healthy foundation and believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself."

"Judge Albers, I like you. You know why? When I came to court each month, you never gave up on me."

"This aint just the end. This is the beginning. Stay strong."

"This has been a long hard road for me and I finally made it. Thanks to Drug Court."

"Drug Court has introduced me to this whole concept of recovery. It’s been a beautiful experience."

"There’s not enough roses to give to the people who stood by me and helped me out. When I got to Drug Court, I was looking for ways to get out of jail. I was unemployable, but now I’m employed. Good things happen if you stick to the program."

"When I started Drug Court, I was in pieces. I didn’t understand it. I didn’t even know I was in pieces."

"My life is in the right direction. I am extremely grateful."

Prop 36 Graduation

This morning, Department 18 transformed itself from its daily courtroom activities into a graduation stage, as Commissioner Albers and the Proposition 36 team honored 13 Winter 2007 graduates.

A case manager with Treatment Access Program (TAP) introduces his graduating client.

The graduates were each presented with a certificate of completion, and two flowers -- one to keep to honor their journey, and one to give to a person significant in their recovery. Each graduate's case manager stood to say several words about his or her client, and the graduates also offered their messages to the rest of the audience. Some had the following things to say:

"I never thought I'd be thanking the County of San Francisco, my lawyer, and the judge."

"I'm going to keep trying, keep staying true to myself."

"Thank you for giving me a chance to change."

Thank you to everyone who made this graduation a success! And, most importantly, the Superior Court and Office of Collaborative Justice would like to extend our warm congratulations to each of the graduates.

Behavioral Health Court Graduation

On November 14th, Behavioral Health Court celebrated the success of 29 graduates with a ceremony and reception at the Civic Center Courthouse. Beginning with a motivational welcome address by Mayor Gavin Newsom and inspirational comments by Public Defender Jeff Adachi and Assistant Chief District Attorney Russ Giuntini, the BHC Team honored the 2007 graduating class, acknowledging their hard work and how far they had come from their first day in court to this graduation day.

(Left to Right) Lisa Lightman, Director of Collaborative Courts Mayor Gavin Newsom, and Julian Potter, Mayor Newsom's Public Policy Director, look on as a BHC graduate delivers his keynote speech.

After two graduates stood in front of the large crowd and shared their personal stories, Judge Morgan and the BHC team presented each graduate with a certificate of achievement and rose to honor their journey. Finally, one special member of the SFPD was honored for his dedication and service to a current client in BHC. The first annual BHC Award for Outstanding Service was presented to Officer Apodaca, who has attended almost every BHC hearing for the client he had once arrested. BHC wanted to recognize Officer Apodaca's commitment to mental health advocacy and his integral role in this BHC client's community support.

(Left to Right) Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, District 11; Officer Michelangelo Apodaca, Chief's Office-Public Affairs; Chief of Police, Heather J. Fong; and, Commander Stephen Tacchini, Field Operations Bureau

Congratulations, 2007 Graduates of Behavioral Health Court!

Drug Court Graduation

This Monday afternoon, a packed house gathered to celebrate the graduation of TWENTY-THREE Drug Court participants! For most of the ceremony, it was standing room only as friends and family clapped and cheered for their loved ones. After remarks by Commissioner Albers and a touching key-note speech by a former graduate, each new graduate said a few words about what the program had meant to him and his goals for life after Drug Court. Graduates were presented with two roses -- one to keep and one to give away to a person significant in their recovery. The ceremony concluded with loud applause as Commissioner Albers granted motions by the District Attorney and Probation Department: to dimiss all charges and to terminate probation successfully in light of completion of Drug Court. With newly clean slates, the graduates and their families enjoyed a reception with refreshments, appetizers and cake.

The Superior Court would like to extend a warm congratulations to all of our Fall 2007 Drug Court Graduates!

Upcoming Events!

Join us as we celebrate the successes of the collaborative justice courts and our clients.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, September 17th, 2:00pm

Room 509, Civic Center Courthouse

Prop. 36 Graduation Ceremony

Tuesday, September 25th, 10:00am

Department 18, Hall of Justice

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Wednesday, November 14th, 5:00pm

Location TBD

We look forward to seeing you there!