Read here a about how a Lewis County Drug Court Graduate proves his dedication and determination to succeed. (The Chronicle)
By Jacob Moore / jacob@chronline.com
What does “proven” mean? For one Lewis County man and the county’s Drug Court program, it means defying expectations, proving people wrong and ultimately being better for it.
After roughly a year and a half in the Lewis County Drug Court program, Jacob Hubble graduated on Monday, July 14, and walked out of a courtroom in Chehalis surrounded by supporters.
During the graduation, per the program’s tradition, he was presented with a word the staff chose to describe him. That word was “proven.” The word expressed the Drug Court team’s feelings about Hubble, starting with their doubt when he started the program followed by the discovery of Hubble’s deep commitment and determination to graduate from Drug Court.
The ceremony included words from most of the Drug Court team and their partners at Lewis County Superior Court, the Eugenia Center in Chehalis and brief remarks from Hubble himself. He thanked the room full of people for coming to support him and told those starting the program to trust Drug Court Program Manager Stephanie Miller and do what she says.
“People who just started the program, once I just gave in and did the things she suggested … my life’s a lot better now,” Hubble said.
Hubble took the time to thank his girlfriend, coworkers, family members and others who came to support him. He also gave a special shoutout to his arresting officer, Lewis County Deputy Andrew Yocom, who was at the graduation to support Hubble, saying that without being arrested by Yocom, he would never be where he was with over 20 months clean from substance abuse and over a year of court-verified clean time.
During the ceremony, Lewis County Superior Court Judge J. Andrew Toynbee shared some of his experiences with Hubble during the program and recalled his surprise when he first saw Hubble was signed up, recognizing him as a “frequent flier” with a long rap sheet of charges and convictions.
Toynbee at first wasn’t sure Hubble was cut out for the program, but he was quickly proven wrong. He said it’s one of the few times he’s happy to be wrong.
“I remember thinking ‘what are you doing here?’” Toynbee said. “I was kind of amazed you made it through the first couple weeks. I would say you kept surprising me, but after a while, it wasn’t surprising anymore.”
During his time speaking, Toynbee showed pride in Hubble’s achievement, testifying to Hubble’s character and touting him as a natural leader. He said that if Hubble decided to do something, it was clear that people would follow. He also shared some of the challenges Hubble faced in the program, bending a few rules to start and at first pushing back against the requirement to get a job, but eventually giving in.
“There was a part of me that thought he just took this job, and in a couple days he won’t be working there anymore, and I was wrong,” Toynbee said. “That’s when I started really believing in you. When you got the job, it really showed that you were proud of yourself. That you were doing good work.”
Hubble’s court-appointed attorney Samuel L. Grober echoed Toynbee’s remarks about Hubble’s natural leadership abilities and willpower, saying that he could overcome any challenge or achieve any goal he set his mind to and likely inspire others along the way.
“I just encourage you to keep being a leader and keep taking people under your wing,” Groberg said. “You’ve shown to yourself and to everybody else here that you can do it. Now, you just have to decide what the next challenge is.”
In a slideshow presented by the Drug Court team at the end of the graduation event, Hubble shared information about his life, recalling that he had first tried meth at the age of 17 and moved onto heroin in his 30s. In 2022, he overdosed and was dead for six minutes before being revived.
Both during the event and outside of the courtroom where the graduation took place, Hubble spoke about the importance of the program and, even more so, his relief to be free from addiction, saying that he was thankful to wake up and no longer feel sick and be able to enjoy simple things such as a cup of coffee in the morning.
“I knew that this is what I wanted, but without Drug Court, I would never be where I’m at,” Hubble said. “You just have to want it, really. A lot of people take it as a get-out-of-jail card … I really wanted to get clean.”
Hubble first joined the Drug Court program on Dec. 11, 2023, after he was arrested in August of that year and charged primarily with possession of a controlled schedule I or schedule II narcotic drug. He spent roughly a year and a half, or about 18 months, in the program.
The minimum time to complete the program is 16 months, with most people who graduate taking between 16 and 20 months to finish, according to Miller.
The Drug Court program has certain requirements for all participants. For example, each person has to call the Eugenia Center every day all year long. The program also works in three phases which mandate certain milestones, such as completing substance abuse treatment, earning a GED and securing a full-time job. Each phase also comes with a minimum amount of time of court-verified clean time.
Phase one lasts a minimum of three months, with phase two taking at least eight months and, finally, phase three lasting at least five months. By the end of the program, graduates are required to have at least six months of court-verified clean time as well as a full-time job, stable housing, a high school diploma and other requirements.
Those who graduate can have criminal charges dismissed.
In the 20 years since it was established, more than 560 participants have entered the Drug Court program. Of those, 282, or just about half, have successfully graduated, as of late 2024.