From jail to a new life: Mass. Recovery Court graduates look ahead to sobriety [Video]

WITH SOME GOOD NEWS. MIKE MARIA OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS ARE DECLINING IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT THE CRISIS IS STILL IMPACTING THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ACROSS THE STATE. RECOVERY COURT, ALSO KNOWN AS DRUG COURT, IS A LIFELINE FOR SOME, AS WE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND AT CHARLESTOWN RECOVERY COURT THIS WEEK. IT’S GRADUATION DAY AT CHARLESTOWN RECOVERY COURT. DEREK AGASSI COMPLETED THE 18 MONTH PROGRAM. THAT’S AN ALTERNATIVE TO JAIL FOR PEOPLE WITH OPIOID USE DISORDERS. NO, I’M NOT ARGUING. MY MOTHER. I DIDN’T WANT TO DO DRUG COURT. IT’S AN EMOTIONAL DAY, ESPECIALLY FOR DEREK’S MOM. A FEW YEARS BACK, I ALL OF A SUDDEN SAID TO ME, WE NEED TO START PREPARING TO BURY HIM. AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I CAN’T DO THAT. WE FIRST MET DEREK LAST YEAR WHEN HE CHECKED IN WITH JUDGE LISA GRANT. YOU ARE AT THE CHELSEA SOBER HOUSE AND THAT’S GOOD. YEAH, I LIKE IT …