PITTSTON — The Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce held its annual fall breakfast meeting Nov. 9 at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall featuring principal speaker Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky, Jr. of the Luzerne County Courts, 11th Judicial District.
“The annual breakfast is one of our favorite events of the year,” said Michelle Mikitish, Chamber executive vice president. “This is a great venue for our employers, it’s a quick morning, it’s a great time for networking and our speakers always have a great message.”
Close to 160 area business leaders and employers gathered for the breakfast to hear Sklarosky speak.
Prior to the judge’s introduction, Chamber President Richard Kazmerick made announcements on upcoming Chamber events. Mentioned were the Women’s Network’s 25th holiday party on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs; Junior Achievement Taste of Success, Nov. 15 at the Junior Achievement Center of NEPA; Red Cross Holiday Craft Show, Saturday, Nov. 24 and 25 at the 109th Armory; Skill Trades and Technology Showcase, Friday, Dec. 7 at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career Center.
The main focus of Sklarosky’s speech was the Luzerne County Treatment Court and the seriousness of the opioid epidemic.
“In 2017, Luzerne County experienced a record number of people, 153, died due to drug overdose,” Sklarosky said. “By contrast, 53 people died in 2010. In 2017, fentenyl, a synthetic opioid, was the most common overdose drug, but most people died with multiple drugs in their system. The oldest person that died was 76; the youngest was 18.”
Sklarosky’s 30-minute speech detailed the current opioid epidemic in Luzerne County. “This epidemic does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, gender, religion or socio-economic status.”
According to Sklarosky, judges who saw their courts filled with repeat drug offenders created the Treatment Court concept. The conclusion was that the traditional criminal justice systems interventions of incarceration and parole are not reducing drug related crimes.
“Treatment Court is run by a Treatment Court team,” Sklarosky said. “It’s based on this premise: lasting recovery requires effective treatment that must last long enough to affect behavioral change, sustained behavioral change.”
Luzerne County Treatment Court, a voluntary program, was established in 2006. There are four active phases that last a minimum of a year where participants complete established phase requirements before moving on to the next phase.
“Treatment Court seeks to build people up to become productive members of society,” Sklarosky said. He went on to say with the successful completion of Treatment Court, under all criteria met at graduation, the charges in the case are dismissed with prejudice. “Successful completion of the after-care phase entitles you to expungement, which means your charges have already been dismissed; now, they are wiped clean from your record.”
“It’s (Treatment Court) something that’s happening in Luzerne County and I think it’s very positive for our employers, our kids and it’s certainly positive for our future,” Mikitish said.
Attorney Samuel Falcone, Jr. served as chairperson for the event.
