The Hardeman County Recovery Court recently held a special celebration for its graduates at First Methodist Church in Bolivar. Graduates, their families, court staff and volunteers came together to mark the work each participant put in to finish the program. For families in Middleton and across Hardeman County, the program offers people facing drug- and alcohol-related charges a supervised path to recovery instead of the usual cycle of jail and repeat offenses.
Graduates finish the program at different points during the year. This ceremony gave them a chance to be recognized together, in front of the people who supported them.
What the Hardeman County Recovery Court Does
Recovery courts, sometimes called drug courts, pair court supervision with treatment, counseling and regular check-ins before a judge. A treatment team reviews each participant’s progress before every court session.
Scott Griffin, the Recovery Court coordinator, has been with the program since 2017. He told The Magnolia Post that recovery means more than putting down drugs or alcohol. It also means rebuilding relationships with family and becoming a reliable employee, an engaged parent and a productive member of the community. “We are very proud of the work each of them did and wanted to celebrate and encourage them,” Griffin said.
Judges Recognize the Treatment Team and the Program’s Roots
Hardeman County General Sessions Judge Harriet Thompson hosted the evening. She asked members of the treatment team to stand for recognition, and she thanked the volunteers who helped put on the graduation. “Without our treatment team, we could not function,” Thompson said.
Judge Boyette “Bodeen” Denton, who created the Recovery Court when he held the same General Sessions judgeship, also attended. Participants thanked him for starting the program. Denton explained that the court began because the old approach to addiction cases was not producing results. “One of the reasons we started the recovery court program was because what we were doing wasn’t working,” he said.
A Graduate’s Story and a Memorial Tribute
The keynote speaker was Ethan Bottom, who graduated from the Recovery Court in 2024. He said the program gave him the chance he needed, and he credited a “nudge from the judge” with helping him get clean and sober. That nudge was a court order into the program.
The ceremony also included a tribute. Attorney Shana M. Johnson remembered Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” German, a Recovery Court graduate who died Aug. 16, 2026, from a cause unrelated to the program. Johnson, a close friend of the family, presented a memorial token to his parents, Willie and Lucinda German.
Why It Matters for the Middleton Area
Middleton sits in northern Hardeman County, just across the state line from Walnut and Tippah County. Treatment-based courts like this one are one of the tools local justice systems use to cut repeat arrests, keep families together and help people return to work. Residents who want to learn more about the program can contact the Hardeman County General Sessions Court in Bolivar.
Event: Hardeman County Recovery Court graduation celebration
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
