Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Man stays clean using drug court

Experimenting with drugs had gotten him in the position where jail time seemed a certainty, yet did Lee Roy Powers really need to be in prison?

Clark County Circuit Judge John Thomas, Sheriff Troy Tucker and Probation and Parole officer Joe Kuhn did not think so.

Through those mentioned, and a few more concerned citizens, a committee was formed to help Powers and others like him to get straight within the legal system.

That committee evolved into a help program called drug court, now available in every county in Arkansas and also in Florida and New York.

Powers, 36, of Gurdon spent the required year in drug court, going through counseling and staying clean. He succeeded and graduated from the program, which means all of the drug related charges against Powers have been dropped and he has been given another chance "at a clean and productive life."

Powers came to Gurdon three years ago. He said this past week of drug court, "It helped me get off of drugs. It does work if you let it."

Powers called the drug court counselors, lawyers, and the judge "a good bunch of people."

"They will help you as much as they can."

Powers said his drug habit mostly consisted of marijuana, "but I got in trouble for methamphetamine."

After passing urine drug tests, both surprise and scheduled, for four 12-week phases of drug court, Powers graduated on May 6.

This means he went before Judge Thomas and got a certificate of graduation. Powers believes his efforts will not only keep him out of jail and lead to a happier life, but also help him find employment.

"I used to work at the Southfork Truck Stop," he said. "I am currently looking to get a job, maybe at a mill. Or I may try and get my CDL license for 18 wheelers. I am from a family of truckers, and I would like to get into that."

In his present state of staying off drugs, Powers has been given a joyful and awesome responsibility; he is raising his seven-year-old daughter, Kelsey.

"She helped me out a lot in drug court, as to staying on smooth sailing," he said.

"Some people slipped and had a hard time. Me, I had no strikes and I went the whole year. I did not get in trouble one time. I say it is all will power."

Powers said a person has to want to quit. Some in drug court, he said, "do dip dirty every now and then."

But Powers said drug court officials are offering the right kind of help to get those people off of drugs who want off.

"It can be booze or pot, or both, or it can be the harder drugs. Still, there are those who want to quit and start new lives. Some, like me, still wanted a future," Powers said.

"I am working on my GED, working on my CDL license and trying to get a good job somewhere."

Powers said he has two other children, ages 10 and eight, not living with him. They are his sons, Joseph and Christian.

"I get to visit Joseph because he lives in a close town, but Christian lives in another town," Powers said. "He is a lot harder to see."

As to the road of drugs and drinking, Powers said he would advise against both.

"It is to each his own, but I say it is better not to," he said. "I spent at least 10 years of drinking and doing drugs  maybe more. For me, I started because of peer pressure. You just run into it."

Powers said drug court helped him get over the addiction problems without making him "feel like I was being treated like a dope head."

Christy Davis, Carla Nutt and Joe Kuhn are there to help, he said. As to why Powers listened to the drug court answer, he admitted much of it was fear brought on by the drug charges.

"I admit it," he said. "I was scared straight. That gave me the will power to quit I was talking about."

Powers said Narcotics Anonymous meetings helped him too; as a means to take away urges to use.

Powers said drug court kept its word to him. After completing the year, his charges were dropped, and they involved a felony over a controlled substance.

"It is sealed," he said. "It is no longer on my record."

Powers stipulated that if he gets in trouble for drugs or alcohol within a year of his drug court graduation, the felony charges can be brought back up.

"But I don't intend to slip," he said.