Saving Boone County: Fighting For Lives In A Place Ravaged By Opioids | NBC Nightly News
Summary
TLDRIn Boone County, West Virginia, Judge Will Thompson grapples with the opioid crisis, a scourge that has ravaged the community, affecting multiple generations. The county, once thriving with coal mining and timber jobs, now faces high unemployment and a surge in drug addiction. Thompson's drug court offers a lifeline to those battling addiction, providing a path to recovery through counseling, community service, and random drug tests. The program has seen success stories, like Mallory, who went from addiction to becoming a recovery coach, and John, who aspires to be an architect. Despite setbacks, the community remains determined to rebuild, one person at a time.
Takeaways
- 👨⚖️ Judge Will Thompson is a circuit court judge in West Virginia dealing with the opioid crisis, which he describes as the worst he's ever seen.
- 🏞️ Boone County, located in the Appalachian valleys, has been deeply affected by the loss of jobs in coal mining and timber cutting, leading to widespread drug addiction.
- 💊 The opioid crisis has led to an intergenerational impact, with children being placed with great grandparents due to addiction in the immediate family.
- 👨👩👧👦 The community struggles with various forms of drug addiction, including opiates, methamphetamine, and heroin, affecting multiple generations.
- 🏠 Property thefts and other crimes have increased as people turn to illegal activities to support their drug habits.
- 👮♂️ Chad Barker, the chief deputy sheriff, highlights the extent of property thefts and child sex trafficking related to drug addiction.
- 🏥 Judge Thompson's drug court offers an alternative to jail for those willing to get clean, requiring regular court appearances, counseling, drug tests, and community service.
- 👨🔧 John Russell, a participant in the drug court, is given a chance to turn his life around through community service and support from the court.
- 👩💼 Carrie Dolan, a former drug addict, is now a manager at a local restaurant and has hired other former addicts, demonstrating the potential for rehabilitation and reintegration.
- 🎓 Mallory Sutphin's story is a significant turnaround, as she graduates from drug court and now works as a recovery coach, aiming to regain custody of her son.
- 🤝 The Boone County Opioid Network is a grassroots community effort to find solutions to the opioid crisis, involving community leaders and former addicts.
Q & A
What is the main issue being addressed in Boone County, West Virginia?
-The main issue being addressed is the opioid crisis, which has had a devastating impact on the community, affecting multiple generations and leading to increased crime and social issues.
Who is Judge Will Thompson and what is his role in addressing the opioid crisis?
-Judge Will Thompson is a circuit court judge for Boone and Lincoln counties in West Virginia. He is actively involved in addressing the opioid crisis by overseeing a drug court, which aims to help individuals overcome addiction and avoid jail time by requiring them to participate in counseling, random drug tests, and community service.
What are some of the social consequences of the opioid crisis mentioned in the script?
-The social consequences include increased property thefts, child neglect, loss of family connections, and even child sex trafficking, where parents use their children to trade for drugs.
How does the drug court work under Judge Thompson's supervision?
-The drug court requires participants to attend weekly court appearances, receive counseling, submit to random drug tests, and perform community service. Judge Thompson and his team track the progress of each participant, offering support and holding them accountable for their recovery.
What is the estimated percentage of the population actively using drugs in Boone County according to the script?
-The script estimates that more than 10 percent but less than 20 percent of the population is actively using drugs.
What personal impact does the opioid crisis have on Judge Thompson?
-The crisis impacts Judge Thompson on a personal level, as he has to deal with the consequences of addiction in his courtroom daily, including having to place children with relatives due to parental addiction and seeing the multi-generational impact of the crisis.
How does the script depict the community's response to the opioid crisis?
-The script shows the community's response through grassroots efforts, such as the Boone County Opioid Network, where community leaders are trying to find solutions to the crisis. It also highlights the work of Judge Thompson's drug court and the personal stories of individuals like Mallory, who have turned their lives around with the help of the court.
What is the role of the Boone County Opioid Network in combating the crisis?
-The Boone County Opioid Network is a group of community leaders, including Judge Thompson and individuals like Rachel Waters, who are working together to find solutions to the opioid crisis. They aim to raise awareness and provide support to those affected by addiction.
What is the significance of Mallory's story in the context of the opioid crisis?
-Mallory's story is significant as it represents a major turnaround. She went from being a heroin addict to becoming a recovery coach, helping others overcome addiction. Her journey illustrates the potential for recovery and the importance of support systems like the drug court.
How does the script suggest the community can overcome the opioid crisis?
-The script suggests that overcoming the opioid crisis requires a community-wide effort, with individuals, support systems like the drug court, and community organizations working together to provide help and resources to those affected by addiction.
Outlines
🏞️ West Virginia's Opioid Crisis
Circuit Court Judge Will Thompson of Boone and Lincoln counties in West Virginia discusses the devastating opioid crisis in his region. He describes the area, its proud and hard-working people, and how the loss of jobs in coal mining and timber led to an increase in drug addiction, affecting multiple generations. The judge shares his experiences placing children with their great grandparents due to parental and grandparental addiction. The crisis has led to an increase in property thefts and child sex trafficking as people resort to desperate measures to feed their addictions. Judge Thompson's drug court offers an alternative to jail, requiring participants to attend weekly court appearances, receive counseling, submit to drug tests, and perform community service. The program aims to rebuild the community one person at a time, with a focus on rehabilitation and support.
👨⚖️ Judge Thompson's Drug Court: A Path to Recovery
The script delves into the personal stories of individuals struggling with addiction in Boone County. Malory Sutphin, a former addict, recounts her journey from painkillers to meth and heroin, highlighting the desperate measures she took to feed her addiction. Rachel Waters, another former addict, shares her experience with various drugs and the impact on her life. The narrative also includes Chad Barker, the chief deputy sheriff, discussing the rise in property thefts and child sex trafficking as a result of the opioid crisis. Judge Thompson's drug court is portrayed as a lifeline, with participants like John Russell, who is doing community service as part of his rehabilitation. The judge's approach is likened to a parent-child relationship, aiming to instill honesty and accountability in the participants. The script also touches on the broader community's efforts to address the crisis, including grassroots initiatives and the judge's personal commitment to making a difference in his community.
👨👧👦 Impact on Families and Children
The narrative shifts to focus on the impact of the opioid crisis on families and children in Boone County. It tells the story of Kirsten and Tyler Bowman, siblings who have endured significant hardship, including their father's imprisonment for drug dealing and the tragic death of their mother and half-sister in a car accident. The script highlights the efforts of Judge Thompson, who ensures the siblings are checked in on regularly in court and are placed with their father's girlfriend. It also features Scott Briscoe, their court-appointed attorney, who is overwhelmed with the increasing caseload related to drug abuse. The judge's dedication to the welfare of children is emphasized, as he works to provide stability and support for those affected by the crisis.
🎓 Drug Court Success Stories and Community Resilience
The final paragraph showcases the success stories of individuals who have graduated from Judge Thompson's drug court, including Mallory, who has turned her life around and now works as a recovery coach. The script emphasizes the importance of community support and the judge's belief in giving people multiple chances to reform. It also highlights the dedication of individuals like Carrie Dolan, who has found stability through the drug court program and is now giving back to the community. The narrative concludes with a message of hope and the potential for community recovery, urging collective effort to overcome the opioid crisis.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Opioid Crisis
💡Drug Court
💡Addiction
💡Community Impact
💡Generational Trauma
💡Recovery
💡Property Theft
💡Parental Neglect
💡Second Chances
💡Rehabilitation
Highlights
Judge Will Thompson, a circuit court judge in West Virginia, discusses the devastating opioid crisis in Boone and Lincoln counties.
The opioid crisis has led to a loss spanning multiple generations, affecting families and communities deeply.
Economic downturn and job loss have contributed to the rise in substance abuse in the region.
The crisis has resulted in children being placed with great grandparents due to parental and grandparental addiction.
Individuals share their personal struggles with various drugs, highlighting the severity of addiction in the area.
Property thefts and other crimes are on the rise as people turn to illegal activities to fund their drug habits.
Judge Thompson's drug court offers an alternative to jail, focusing on rehabilitation and community service.
The drug court requires participants to attend weekly court appearances, receive counseling, submit to drug tests, and perform community service.
Personal stories of recovery show the impact of the drug court, with individuals rebuilding their lives and reconnecting with their families.
The community is rallying together, with grassroots efforts like the Boone County Opioid Network seeking solutions to the crisis.
The emotional toll on families is palpable, with parents and children alike suffering from the consequences of addiction.
Judge Thompson's personal commitment to his community is evident as he coaches his son's baseball team and supports local youth.
The story of Kirsten and Tyler Bowman illustrates the complex challenges faced by children of addicts, including family loss and instability.
The legal system is overwhelmed, with a significant increase in child abuse and neglect cases related to drug addiction.
Carrie Dolan's journey from addiction to recovery and employment demonstrates the potential for positive change.
John Russell's story shows the challenges of maintaining sobriety and the importance of second chances in the recovery process.
Graduation from the drug court signifies a significant milestone for individuals and the community in the fight against addiction.
Mallory's transformation from a heroin addict to a recovery coach and employee of the public defender's office is a testament to the power of rehabilitation.
The community's collective effort to overcome the opioid crisis is emphasized, highlighting the need for unity and support.
Transcripts
it's not a place you moved to you it's a
place you're born in my name is judge
will Thompson I'm a circuit court judge
for Boone Lincoln counties in West
Virginia the biggest single problem we
have right now is dealing with what's
commonly referred to as the opioid
crisis I've been all over this country
reporting on the opioid crisis and
honestly this is the worst situation
I've ever seen it's a beautiful place
Boone County tucked into the Appalachian
valleys of South Central West Virginia
the people I met talk about pride and
being from here
they're church-going they're
hard-working they've sent generation
after generation deep into the coal
mines and to cut timber but as a lot of
those jobs disappeared
folks moved away a lot of people
struggle to find work and painkillers
heroin meth took hold this is not losing
a generation this is losing multi
generations I've had where I've had to
place children with great grandparents
because both the parents and
grandparents suffered from addiction
it's taken our soul
[Music]
we've got the opiate pain reliever pills
we've got methamphetamine we've got
heroin anything really
malory Sutphin tried all sorts of pain
pills chasing a high I was a weekend
warrior as a lot of people say it's
something that I couldn't control I
didn't know how to control I just knew
that my body needed that pill and that
feeling that it gave me to even go
through the day I used to be that person
but people would see me come initial
psycho well they're suppose Carey Dolan
told us she started out on pain pills
switched to meth and then heroin you
know I was that Nadel junkie or I was
bad thief or look at her strung out
Rachel Waters she tried coke meth and
acid opiates is what ruined my life by
the time I was 19 20 I was an addict
already this seems like we're almost
ground zero for the opioid crisis we're
driving around with Chad Barker he's
chief deputy sheriff in Boone County we
have a large or a big problem with
property thefts
stealing equipment you know chainsaws
weed eaters lawn equipment breaking into
homes you know all that to supply their
drug addiction they pay for it by
stealing they pay for that by selling
themselves they pay for that by dealing
themselves there is some child sex
trafficking we're having parents use
their daughters where they'll use them
to trade their for pills
for heroin or whatever it might be how
much of the population do you think is
actively using drugs mmm I would
estimate more than 10 percent less than
20 percent a lot of the users are
parents so even though their kids are
not using they're being affected by
everybody here knows about judge
Thompson's drug court it's where you go
if you're ready to get clean and you
don't want to go to jail I always worry
about losing my community but I can't
tell you how we are trying to fix it and
we're trying to fix it one person at a
time trying to get folks like John
Russell back on track
John is cleaning up the town riverbank
part of the community service Judge
Thompson requires as part of his drug
court we stay here due to too bright of
a kid to be doing stuff like this he
said I can see good things in your
future and that's always stuck with me
it'd be easy to give up on these people
the easiest thing I could do when
someone comes before me with the
criminal charge and they're found guilty
of it is to put them in jail or prison
here's how his drug court works you got
to show up for weekly court appearances
get counseling submit to random drug
tests and do community service judge
Thompson and his team tracked
everybody's progress when we were first
there John was like an A student I will
give you a gold star this week you're
doing right there's not too many judges
to give you chance that the chance
that's a chance
they just washed her hands of you and
send you to prison he don't he cares he
saved my life
and
it's got my family back my interactions
with people in the drug court it's
almost a parent-child relationship you
think of it on this most basic scale is
they want to please the court or they
want to please their dad but some days
the judge's goal of rebuilding his
community one person at a time isn't
easy for me a drug screen that someone
did not admit to your cardinal rule here
honesty you gotta be honest if you
cannot recover if you're not honest with
yourself first and honest with you the
gentle honest with me the first time you
were in front of Judge Thompson
you lied yeah did you see right through
it I believe so I was an evil person
I was not trustworthy
I would walk in to like a family event
and I would already be eyeballing what I
could take yeah if there's anything out
in the open that I could get away with
things of that nature my mom stayed on
where I was getting my next fix I didn't
care who was in my way to get it whether
it was my boyfriend
whether it was you know my son's
birthday money and it never made a
difference to me
in 2015 I miraculously landed a job with
the United States Postal Service I went
through training and I got hired on at
the post office down the road here my
habit became so out of control at that
time that I ended up embezzling about
$8,000 from them I ended up losing my
job and got criminal charges of
embezzlement here's the other thing
about Mallory she's a mom like me back
when she was using she lost custody of
her little boy Jackson is it hard to see
his room every day
I don't come in here unless I have to
we're not going to get to the bottom of
this and let's move through grassroots
community Boone County opioid network
where community leaders like dreama mace
are trying to find solutions to the
opioid crisis here judge Thompson was
there so was Rachel waters they know
each other I think my parents was there
and I remember he made me turn around
and look at my parents and I don't
remember what you had me say to them and
I think a lot of parents want to think
that their son or daughter sitting up
there well they just took a few too many
pills you know they doubled their
prescription up that's not what they did
they took those pills melted them down
and injected it into a needle and then
injected it into their body and I want
them to hear the actual grim total
reality of what their son or daughter
did because we have a lot of parents who
love their children that are also
enablers we want to don't want to
recognize what type of problem that
their kid has got where there were times
like after I sold my car that I begged
mom to take me to get get drugs and this
is how bad just seeing that it was like
I was so sick like we would go get drugs
or whatever and the one that went one
day I remember like I just got
everything out and shot up with her
dropping me in the car like right there
that was like a really bad I just I mean
I couldn't believe I done that but I was
just sick and I was like I'm not waiting
until we get home
yes that was awful I couldn't believe
that
she was doing what she was doing and I
couldn't believe that was with her it's
so easy to say I wouldn't do that or I
would do this or I wouldn't do that you
really don't know what you will do to
you kissing with gritty determination
Rachel got healthy she has a job she
loves now she gets along with her mom
and family again
tonight she's watching her nephew head
off to the prom the social event of the
year at Scott high school there's not a
lot for kids to do in Boone County the
movie theater the pool they're gone but
baseball still draws a crowd that's
judge Thompson coaching his son will one
of his four children but it's both for
him to leave behind what he sees in the
courtroom every day the hardest thing I
have to take home with me is children
and the fact they're not being taken
care of and the fact they're not getting
a chance in life
kids like Kirsten and Tyler Bowman I met
with them on a hot day at the high
school fields these kids have been
through a lot
their dad is in prison for dealing drugs
their mom and half sister died four
years ago in a fiery car wreck after mom
had an all-day drug binge even though I
know my dad and most of my family was on
that stuff I could still tell that you
know they try and that they do actually
caring love worse they just you know
need help to get off of it they love you
a lot
but they're dependent on this substance
right yeah why don't you keep going I
don't know if it a little while I didn't
want to you so you got any hot plans for
the weekend no no Scott Briscoe is
Kirsten and Tyler's court-appointed
attorney he's really struggling to keep
up with the caseload 21 years ago when I
started practicing child abuse neglect
and representing children we did roughly
five of these cases a week flash forward
to now and we're doing over 40 a week a
week and how much of it is related to
drugs I would say 99.99% of it is
related to drugs Kirsten and Tyler were
shuffled around for months between
relatives and shelters Tyler told me he
spent most of his free time just walking
around town until Judge Thompson figured
out a way for them to live with their
dad's girlfriend the judge brings Scott
and Kirsten to court every week just to
check in Tyler said one of the best
things that's happened to him was you
I love him he's a good kid you worried
about him yeah every day there are so
many kids over the years I thought
that's when I could take home that's one
that maybe I could bring home and rescue
you're making a difference
Carrie Dolan is trying to taking part in
drug court working as a manager at a
local restaurant and paying it forward
she hired John John is a great worker he
just needed a chance a chance to get
back out there and once he's been where
John and I have been it's hard to get a
job it's hard to find I'd even let you
in the door but once you get that chance
it's all unique and in no time John had
opened his first bank account and
started to dream big well my dream is to
be an architect the buildings or even
bridges I want to be a part of something
good like that place it's a good night
but just a few weeks after we met John
things weren't going so well he was back
in court in an orange jumpsuit and
shackles after violating his parole the
judge warned John he was running out of
options but instead of sending him back
to jail judge Thompson found a place in
West Virginia where John can get some
vocational training sometimes there's a
third chance sometimes it's an 18th
chance at life but I don't like to give
up on people I like to give people a
chance to fix themselves drug court
graduation today for Tyrion Mallory Josh
Thompson and drug court psych my life
without a doubt stake my life
I was a heroin addict I had open-heart
surgery and 36 years old I had lost my
fun
I only got to sing with supervision now
I think what I want to you
he's a mine of all the people I met in
Boone County
Mallory's story is the biggest
turnaround days like this makes me think
that what we're doing very very proud of
Mallory everybody give me a chance that
he didn't have to give me what did that
do for you they gave me my life back
not only is Mallory working again she's
working for the same public defender's
office that once defended her as a
recovery coach she told me her biggest
goal now is getting joint custody of her
son in ten years he's graduated 50
people in Boone County you could be
working in a big city as a lawyer why
are you here I wanted to make my home a
better place and I'm doing everything in
my power to save it they're people
they're no different than any other
person they just happen to suffer from
addiction what I want you to do
not only for you to stay clean but I
want you to help other people get
through that's very very important we
can beat this as community our community
can come back but in order for that to
happen we have to all work together
[Music]
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