A.G. Campbell speaks at Women’s Recovery Court Session

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell spoke at the 15th annual Massachusetts Women’s Recovery Court Session — a celebration for participants and alumni of a state-run program for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction — this week on the Island.

Roughly 60 women from throughout the Commonwealth gathered inside the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown on Thursday afternoon to take in speeches by chief justices, program leaders, and recovery court graduates, followed by a group lunch. 

Campbell congratulated the program’s participants and alumni in attendance.

“Because you choose to participate and be a part of a program like this, and to be vulnerable and to turn your pain into purpose, you too are part of a fabric of making sure that our state remains the greatest state in the country to live and work in,” Campbell said.

Campbell spoke openly about losing the majority of her immediate family and encouraged the participants to dream big.

“As a result of people who believed in me, my faith, a community of support, and most importantly, an inner courage to do what you’re doing, I stand here in joy … of what is possible for every single woman in this space. Don’t let anyone suggest otherwise,” Campbell said. “All the things you had in your heart as a child and you envisioned for yourself, it is still very much possible.”

The Women’s Recovery Court Session was co-founded in 2013 by Judge Benjamin Barnes, presiding judge of the Edgartown District Court, while he worked as a district court judge in Chelsea. He told the audience that he launched the program after noticing that many women in the standard recovery courts felt uncomfortable participating with men. 

“[The sessions] were 89 percent men. I’m sitting there, and one or two females were there. They were quiet. They wouldn’t participate, and I just knew distinctly something was wrong,” Barnes said. 

The Women’s Recovery Court sessions serve women facing criminal drug charges, who share their personal stories, listen to guest speakers, and participate in group activities, such as lunch and mindfulness sessions.  

The program’s expanded into several other districts — including Malden, Plymouth, and Springfield — with the help of co-founders Judy Lawler, a retired probation officer, and Katie O’Leary, director of recovery services for North Suffolk Community Services. 

Barnes emphasized the importance of creating the program as a safe space for women.

“The power is simply in the freedom of expressing joy to God, and we need to have those spaces,” Barnes said. “We need to have those opportunities.”

Lawler underscored the program’s commitment to caring for women in recovery across the state.  

“We are determined to continue on our journey to provide specialized trauma-informed pathways for women in the criminal justice system,” Lawler said. “We will continue to create a community of hope and healing in a safe, supported female-heavy environment across Massachusetts.”

O’Leary, who previously struggled with addiction and first met Barnes and Lawler while facing drug charges in court, expressed her faith in the attendees’ capabilities. 

“This session exists because we see your strength, we honor your courage, and we fully believe in your future,” O’Leary said.

The event also featured a brief moment of silence to honor the women in recovery court who have died. Shannon White, clinical manager at Power of Recovery who’s recovering from substance abuse, highlighted the humanity of these individuals beyond their addictions.

“They were more than just their addiction, and their love will live on forever,” White said. 

The event concluded with several recovery court graduates sharing their personal testimonies. Lynne Eppel, a graduate of the Edgartown Recovery Court, expressed the unconditional support of the fellow court participants, even when she relapsed. 

“The most important thing that recovery court taught me is you’re going to go back, and people are going to clap for you. They’re going to be so happy to see you again,” Eppel said. “It’s a community that wants you to do well. It is not judgmental.”

Caitlin Diblasi, a graduate of the Charlestown Recovery Court and co-founder of the Trailhead Treatment Center in Salem, N.H., recalled how O’Leary helped her to become a recovery coach after graduating herself. 

“When you have a history of addiction, arrests, and involvement with the courts, you get used to people knowing you by what you’ve done,” Diblasi said. “Having someone know where I’d been but still be willing to give me a chance was a really big thing.”

After the event, Campbell told The Times that the state government has a responsibility to expand the Women in Recovery Court Session to more parts of Massachusetts. 

“We have to look outside of just Boston,” she said “So whether it is the Cape and Islands or Western Mass., the desire to be more intentional in expanding this program to ensure it’s available to everyone is a priority, and especially making sure that we don’t forget the Vineyard as a place that needs sources not only for recovery courts [but] for housing, climate justice, and so much more.”