Karissa Scruggs was one of eight individuals who graduated from the Hillsborough County South Recovery Court on Aug. 14. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

NASHUA – Each with their own story and motivation; the eight graduates of the Hillsborough County South Recovery Court all joined the program for the same reason: to free themselves from the clutches of addiction.

During his keynote address, Kevin Burke, who graduated from Recovery Court in 2024, said he never had a normal childhood as his parents suffered from substance abuse.

“I convinced myself that I wasn’t going to amount to anything more than an addict,” he said during the Aug. 14 ceremony, adding that Recovery Court saved his life. “Recovery Court was a life-changing experience, I was worth more than my problems.”

Burke ultimately earned his high school diploma, began volunteering at the Revive Recovery Resource Center and hosted Recovery Dharma meetings.

He started working at Revive two years ago and is now a peer support specialist. He also sits on the Advisory Board of the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center.

Kevin Burke, a 2024 graduate of the Hillsborough County South Recovery Court, delivers his keynote address. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

“We hurt the people who love us the most, but it doesn’t have to stay that way,” said Burke. “I’m living proof that it’s possible.”

When Darren Killeen joined Recovery Court in 2022, he viewed it as nothing more than an inconvenience and wanted to get through the program as quickly as possible.

“I never learned about the journey,” he said.

Before joining the program, he had been stabbed in the neck, sprayed with Mace and bitten by a police dog.

In addition, he said he had prior history with a few individuals who also finished the program on Aug. 14.

Darren Killeen was one of eight individuals who graduated from the Hillsborough County South Recovery Court on Aug. 14. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

“Three of these people I knew before drug court,” said Killeen. “We got high together.”

Killeen’s addiction also forced him to put his son up for adoption.

“I wanted to fight for my son,” he said.

After four years in Recovery Court, Killeen said he is a changed man.

“Nobody works with you like drug court,” he said. “I have peace and calmness — and I learned how to keep my mouth shut.”

Karissa Scruggs was convinced she would spend decades in prison.

“I didn’t care about life,” she said.

As a result of her addiction, Scruggs said she would disappear for months at a time and ultimately endured a horrendous detoxification process at Valley Street jail.

“Up until a couple months ago, I was a habitual offender,” she said.

However, Scruggs has found a new life through Recovery Court.

“I love this place,” she said. “I’m going to miss this place.”

Since its launch in 2014, Recovery Court has been an alternative to incarceration and has guided more than 100 individuals out of the dark abyss of addiction.

However, it is a rigorous process. Superior Court Justice Jacki Smith said that for many graduates, going to prison may be easier than Recovery Court.

“This kind of change is really hard,” she said. Yet, those who complete the program are “examples of what is possible.”

To qualify for Recovery Court, participants must be categorized as being “high-risk and high-need.” They must also plead guilty in order to have their prison sentence suspended.

The program includes multiple phases and lasts at least 18 months. During that time, participants are under tight supervision, attend counseling sessions and are subject to random drug testing.

According to data from 2024, Recovery Court has a graduation rate of approximately 60 percent.