22 graduate from Roanoke Valley Drug Court

SALEM, Va. - Drug abuse is a national problem that defies simple solutions, but a local program that became a model for the rest of the state is paying dividends almost 20 years after it started.

The Drug Court of the 23rd Judicial Circuit was the first of its kind in Virginia, and it has been replicated across the state. Friday, 22 men and women picked up their diplomas to the applause of family members and supporters.

"I've done a lot of graduation speeches," said U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, "but I don't think I've ever gone to a graduation as meaningful as this."

For William Meadows it represented four years of hard work to overcome 20 years of addiction.

"Finally in my late 20s, the commonwealth hammer fell upon me," Meadows told WDBJ7 in an interview, "Instead of putting me in cage to rot, they seen something in me and gave me a chance."

Kaine praised the program, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to lend a hand to someone else.

"I know all of you feel a sense of gratitude to people who helped you get on to a better path, the people who are connected with this program, family members who have helped you get on the path," Kaine said during the ceremony. "Do that for someone else. Do that for someone else."

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