Total number of graduates from Will County program exceeds 800.
State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced 12 people graduated from the Will County Problem Solving Courts in a May 4 ceremony at the Jacob Henry Mansion in Joliet. To date, 808 individuals have turned their lives around through the diversionary court program in Will County.
“It is fitting this is National Treatment Court Month. Back in 1998 when I wrote the two federal grants leading to the creation of the Will County Drug Court, I had no idea it would blossom over 25 years into four diversionary courts that became a model for other counties, along with graduating more than 800 individuals,” Glasgow said.
“Our graduates are to be commended for their hard work and dedication in completing the life-changing program provided through our Problem Solving Courts. Each graduate is a lifetime member of the alumni program established last year, and we remain ready to provide support and a safety net at any time as they embark upon their new journey,” he continued.
The program honored eight Mental Health Court graduates, who hail from Joliet, Braidwood, New Lenox, and Romeoville, and four Drug Court graduates, from Joliet, Crest Hill, and Homer Glen.
In addition to remarks by Glasgow, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien, Circuit Court Chief Judge Daniel Kennedy, and Associate Judge Frederick Harvey – who began his career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in 1998 – addressed the graduates. Program alumna Novel Woods of Joliet also spoke to the graduates. He told the audience, “I am happy Will County gave me the opportunity to change my life for the better.” Woods graduated from the Problem Solving Courts program in 2018 and has worked for six years at the Joliet Salvation Army.
Will County’s Problem-Solving Courts program began when Glasgow wrote the grants in 1998 that led to the establishment of the Will County Drug Court, which convened for the first time in 2000. Glasgow then established the Mental Health Court in 2010, along with Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney, filed the petition requesting the formation of the Will County Veterans Court in 2012, and wrote and obtained the grant for the Redeploy Illinois Court to steer qualifying repeat offenders away from prison and into gainful employment. Although Redeploy Illinois no longer is a separate program, it continues to provide funding for individuals to participate in the three other diversionary court programs.
Glasgow also established three transitional residence facilities to further help Problem Solving Court participants on the path to reentry into the workforce. The Miller Taylor House and Julie Ann House provide temporary housing, and the Connor Kelly Residence opened its doors in 2019 to provide longer-term transitional housing.