While Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn's courtroom was packed Monday afternoon with those accused of crimes, the individuals inside were smiling, laughing and crying tears of joy.
"I didn't want to cry, but I think I am," Amy Piercy, 57, said in court. "I didn't think I'd make it here. I thought I'd go back to jail."
Dunn presides over Hamilton County Felony Drug Recovery Court, which is a voluntary, court-supervised program for those suffering with substance abuse who have felony or misdemeanor criminal charges. A sign that read "We are so proud of you" hung across Dunn's bench.
The program offers a recovery-based alternative to jail or prison.
Piercy pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery in 2017 and aggravated assault in 2022 and was sentenced to six years in prison on each charge, according to the Hamilton County Criminal Court website, but drugs and alcohol were an underlying factor in her crimes.
She, along with everyone else involved in the program, was determined to be a high-risk and high-need case.
Piercy graduated Monday from recovery court — sober and with her prison sentence suspended — after months of treatment.
"I will be back to see each and every one of you graduate," she said to the courtroom, holding a bouquet.
Some individuals received certificates for moving to the next step in the program, some simply checked in about their past week and others received minor disciplines such as a work day for violating program rules.
But they all shared a similar message of feeling grateful for events and experiences many people might take for granted, such as going to work or enjoying a hobby or seeing a movie.
Breanna Brown said one of the most difficult things was changing the way she saw herself, her addiction and her crimes.
"I used to always think it didn't matter if you weren't hurting anyone else," she said. "It didn't matter as long as you were only hurting yourself."
On the other hand, Hannah Kaiser and others said they still struggle with how other people view them.
Kaiser said she feels people immediately look down on her due to her face tattoo. She was wearing her baby boy in a carrier wrap.
"Everyone sees your face before they see you," Kaiser said. "I'm in the process of getting it removed, but still."
The hardest part about recovery is moving on from the past, not putting too much focus on the future and living every day as its own, Dunn said.
"Living in the moment is a gift," Dunn said. "That's why they call it the present."
Members of the public who are interested in donating to the program can do so through the Hamilton County Recovery Court fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. The donations are used for emergency essentials and program improvement.
Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.