Staff photo / Ed Runyan Judge John Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court receives congratulations from Jennifer Renaldy for the judge’s 25 years of running the Mahoning County Common Pleas drug court. The court allows individuals charged with a felony the opportunity to attend weekly sessions to work on sobriety, with the goal of having their criminal charges dismissed if they successfully complete the program.

YOUNGSTOWN — Judge John Durkin was honored by a statewide community corrections association, the retiring Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and many others Wednesday for his 25 years of continuous service as the judge of the Mahoning County Common Pleas drug court.

Durkin said he would create a drug court when he ran for judge the first time when there were only a couple of them in the state, said Amy Klumpp, drug court coordinator.

Drug court gives individuals charged with a felony offense the opportunity to attend weekly sessions with Durkin and the treatment team of counselors, prosecutors and defense attorneys to work on their sobriety with the goal of having their criminal charges dismissed if they complete the program successfully.

Durkin is the longest continuously serving felony drug court judge in Ohio, she said.

The Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections gave the judge a proclamation for the event, saying the Mahoning Common Pleas drug court has served more than 1,300 people and has a 60 percent graduation rate.

About 90 percent of the drug court’s successful graduates have gone on to live enriched and crime-free lives, the proclamation states.

Among those who attended the congratulatory celebration was Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who is retiring at the end of this year.

There also were several other judges in attendance, many members of the drug court treatment team and many individuals currently going through drug court and individuals who completed earlier.

One of the members of the treatment team, Jennifer Renaldy, said it has been a pleasure to watch the way Durkin interacts with the participants in drug court.

“His compassion and empathy and kindness toward others — it’s a true inspiration,” she said. “He is fabulous.”

She said the population that has substance-use disorder and mental health issues “are not often given the compassion or understanding or kindness that every person needs. Judge Durkin recognized that 25 years ago. He has affected people and made a difference. He has saved a number of people’s lives and affected people’s lives.”

Renaldy, who works for Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, said there is also a “ripple effect that helps their family.” The company she works for provides vocational rehabilitation, especially enabling people to get jobs to help them recover from substance abuse issues.

erunyan@vindy.com