ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — Over a dozen people ceremoniously graduated Wednesday from a program aimed at tackling addiction.

Fourteen people graduated from the First Judicial Recovery Court, which gives non-violent offenders who struggle with addiction a chance to turn their lives around.

Family, friends, mentors, judges, and others were present to congratulate the graduates, who were once facing possible incarceration for crimes related to addiction.

Zachary Tillman received the chance to go through the recovery court program. He is now almost 18 months sober but it came with a lot of challenges, including a relapse and having to transfer to the Roan Mountain inpatient facility.

“They never turned their back on me,” Tillman said. “They jumped right in there, found a more suitable treatment for myself, which was in Roan Mountain. The program itself wasn’t hard. It was tackling all the demons, that they were helping me to tackle. That’s what was hard. But the end result was phenomenal. I can feel completely different.”

The program involves taking several classes, therapy, help in receiving licenses and certifications, and more.

Britaney Holloway, another graduate, said she has had to change a lot of her old ways.

“Like I had to make new friends. The old friends I thought I had really wasn’t my friends,” Holloway said. “So I’ve built relationships with the team and with the judges and all that. It’s just nice knowing that I have actual good people on my side.”

Judge Lisa Rice said the most rewarding part is seeing what each graduate has achieved since being sober.

“When these individuals come into the program, they have been through probably years of abuse and it takes its toll,” Rice said. “And this program restores a vibrancy to them that you just see happen and they blossom through the program.”

For Holloway, it was a long road to recovery, but it was a road that was well worth the journey.

“I’ve reconnected with my family, rebuilt relationships with family that I didn’t think was repairable. I’ve kept a steady job, became management at my job, I have my kids back in my life,” Holloway said. “That’s a plus for me.”

According to Families Free Executive Director Lisa Tipton, around 75 people have graduated from the program, including inpatient and outpatient.

“At Families Free, we really are able to bring together the family therapy,” Tipton said. “We’re able to bring in the children’s needs and issues, the caregivers of the children, the parents, grandparents tonight at this graduation. There were so many generations represented, and that’s the piece that we’re able to bring to the table as part of this team and then also bring together the judges, the local mayors, our state representatives. And just all the different people in our community to help make this program such a success.”

Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby and Elizabethton Mayor Bill Carter were also present at the graduation.

Woodby said this was one of the largest recovery court graduations she’s attended.

“What they’re going to be able to bring back to the communities is going to be phenomenal,” Woodby said. “Being able to take care of their children, get jobs, and be contributing to the community and not being a burden on the society that they had been. As far as the welfare system, our health departments, our jails and anything that the taxpayers are currently funding, they will be able to come out of that system and be self-funding themselves with the jobs that we’re providing through the program.”

To learn more about the First Judicial Recovery Court Program, you can visit the Families Free website.