Why Drug Court works: Grads say it’s ‘windows instead of bars’

BANGOR – Gary Tanguay is a natural-born salesman, but his biggest challenge came about a year ago when he had to sell himself on the notion that he is a drug addict.

The 23-year-old Bangor resident and Connecticut native started abusing drugs before he was a teenager. Even though he’s been drug-free for some time, he knows his fight is not over.

“I’m going to be an addict – hopefully a recovering addict – for the rest of my life,” Tanguay said Friday inside the Penobscot County Courthouse. “I don’t want to shut the door on the past – I want to use it as a reminder.”

Tanguay was one of four graduates honored Friday for completing Penobscot County’s Adult Drug Court. The program, offered through the court system to a select group of drug offenders, is a rigorous one-year alternative to prison or probation, Superior Court Justice Andrew Mead said during the ceremony.

“This is the single most fulfilling thing I do,” Mead said after presenting each graduate with a certificate. “It’s the only time when I become personally involved with people’s lives.”

Tom Ward, 26, of Bangor, Bruce McLaughlin, 39, of Eddington and Henry Grant, no age or hometown given, joined Tanguay as the 2004 Drug Court graduates. Drug Court case manager Ruth Quirino called Tanguay the “politician and leader of the group.”

Tanguay prepared a speech for the event and spoke confidently and openly about his experience. He even impressed Mead with his sharp outfit, consisting of a black shirt and tie, with a vest and black pants.

“I don’t like you standing next to me because I feel underdressed,” Mead told Tanguay, then added lightheartedly. “Look at him, he could probably sell anything to anyone.”

Several other previous graduates attended Friday’s ceremony, and they all got a special visit from Gov. John E. Baldacci and Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe, who spoke about the importance of programs such as Drug Court.

“Every citizen of our state is important,” Baldacci said after the presentation. “We want people to realize that drugs don’t need to be a part of their lives.”

“A lot of people in this room make this program possible, but the biggest commitment is made by you,” Rowe told the program participants. “You’re getting your lives back.”

Justice Mead has presided over Drug Court since it started in 2001 in Bangor. Since then, about 30 graduates have come through the program.

Maine’s Drug Court operates in Portland and Bangor through $800,000 in funding from the Fund for a Healthy Maine, money from the national tobacco settlement. Mead said the program could reach even more with additional funding.

“It’s purely a resource problem,” he said. “As it is, the program runs without any expense to taxpayers.”

Because of limited funding, the screening process for Drug Court candidates is intense and Mead said the court looks for candidates it hopes will be successful.

“Most of these people are not criminals,” he said. “They never should have been here in the first place.”

Bangor’s Drug Court graduation rate is about 56 percent, 6 percent above the national average and 10 percent higher than Portland’s graduation rate.

Tanguay said he never gave himself the opportunity to fail.

“This is a huge opportunity and a great option for some of us,” he said. “The court provides structure instead of handcuffs, windows instead of bars.”

Tanguay said he first tried marijuana at age 10 and then moved on to cocaine and other drugs. He admitted that he gravitated toward anything that gave him “instant gratification.”

He still remembers vividly the particulars of his past and said he keeps them with him to help guide his future.

Tanguay said he knows he has gotten a late start but is looking to pursue a business in detailing cars. He already has his sights set on buying space on Route 1A in Holden and hopes to open his own business as soon as possible.

Tanguay’s mother, Mary Attean of Bangor, and younger brother, Mike Tanguay, 14, sat in the courtroom during the ceremony, another sobering reminder for a man trying to turn his life around.

“I’m so proud of him,” Attean said of her older son. “He may have doubted himself, but I never doubted him.”

“I didn’t want to miss this, because he’s worked so hard to get to this point,” Mike Tanguay added.