Pubdate: Thu, 26 May 2005
Source: Williamsport Sun-Gazette (PA)
Copyright: 2005 Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Contact: http://www.sungazette.com/asp/forms/letters-form.asp
Website: http://www.sungazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3630
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

DRUG COURT GRADUATION HIGHLIGHTS STRUGGLE, HOPE

Amid turbulent times in our community, the Lycoming County juvenile drug 
court celebrated its first graduate this month.

Such are the struggles of today and the hopes for tomorrow.

The City of Williamsport is searching for solutions in the wake of a 
disturbing, gang-influenced shooting death of a local teen-ager and another 
fatal shooting early Tuesday morning.

The story of Terrance Baity's death is overwhelmingly sad on a number of 
levels.

Perry Hart, the first juvenile court graduate, knows a thing or two about 
sad stories. That's how he got in the drug court, which aims to treat 
problems rather than punish them, offering rewards and incentives for good 
behavior.

At his graduation, Hart extolled the virtues of the tough-love program and 
promised to become the productive member of the community that the drug 
court calls him to be.

While the adult drug court is in its eighth year, the juvenile drug court 
is in its first. The recent tragedies in our community serve only to 
underscore the need for a program such as this.

And Hart, the first person in his family to graduate from high school, is 
something of a symbol, whether he wants to be or not.

Behind most of the sad stories of youth violence in our community is some 
sort of wrongful association rooted in illegal drugs. We suspect there are 
a lot of Perry Harts out there. They need to overcome their demons and free 
themselves of bad company. That is one of the clearest ways to reducing the 
likelihood of a repeat of the Mothers Day tragedy in Williamsport and 
Tuesday's tragedy.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom