Norfolk Drug Court Ceremony Recognizes 4 Men Achieving Sobriety, Graduating From Therapeutic Incarceration Alternative Program
NORFOLK, Va. – Four Norfolk Drug Court graduates across three generations were recognized Thursday afternoon for their commitment to sobriety and their completion of supervised probation, marking an end to their entanglement with the criminal justice system as a product of their substance use disorders.
Norfolk Drug Court is a rigorous and rehabilitative program serving as a therapeutic alternative to incarceration that defendants convicted of certain non-violent offenses may qualify for. Each of the following men have completed the program, have been sober since they were last incarcerated, have demonstrated above and beyond their ability to make a productive return to free society, and were ceremoniously released from supervised probation.
“Congratulations to Roderick Battle, Renard Britton, Ryan Guittard, and Lejhuan Parker for this milestone in their sobriety and their rehabilitation,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
Roderick Elliott Battle, 55, has a criminal history dating to the early 1990s that was fueled by his drug addiction. Mr. Battle entered the Drug Court program in April 2022 after being convicted of controlled substance possession and multiple larcenies. Mr. Battle said on Thursday that he recently realized — due to the 12-step program and the community he has built through Drug Court — he has such a beautiful life that the fact he is not high no longer occurs to him.
Renard Lorenzo Britton, 64, has a criminal history dating to the 1980s that was fueled by his alcohol and drug abuse. Mr. Britton entered the Drug Court program in September 2021 after being convicted of multiple violations of probation. During the ceremony, he thanked his community and family members present at his graduation for their continued support.
Ryan Pierre Guittard, 31, has a criminal history dating to 2017 that was largely fueled by his drug addiction. Mr. Guittard entered the Drug Court program in July 2022 after being convicted of grand theft auto and reckless driving. Mr. Guittard said during the ceremony that he did not want to return to a life of stealing and using drugs after the Drug Court program helped him to earn his driver's license, maintain a stable living for his family, and develop a support system to rely on and help in return.
Lejhuan Marquis Parker, 48, has a criminal history dating to the early 1990s that was fueled by his drug use since he was a young teenager. Mr. Parker entered the Drug Court program in March 2022 after being convicted of multiple probation violations. Mr. Parker was released from supervised probation on Thursday for the first time since he was 14 years old, and he said he is now able to look himself in the mirror every day and tell himself how proud he is of the man he sees.
“For too long the criminal justice system has sought punishment over all other goals rather than focusing on diversion, treatment, and rehabilitation. Therapeutic dockets rehabilitate our citizens, save human capital, and make our community safer,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Norfolk has been a pioneer in offering therapeutic dockets — Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Reentry Court, and Veterans Court — for many years, and I am proud of continuing this tradition. Once again, I congratulate our graduates and extend my thanks to the many stakeholders in Drug Court who have made our graduates’ success possible.”
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