11/04/09 Bend

"There was no one person that was going to stop me from doing what I was going to do but I had to make the choice to want something different," said recovering addict Zane Isbell.

"Waking up in that county jail looking at doing the rest of my life in prison knowing that every chance and opportunity that I ever had is gone was a great amount of pain," said recovering addict Kelly Meyers.

Each addict takes different steps to get clean, many take advantage of programs while behind bars. Deschutes County has one of two family drug court programs in Oregon which leads addicts through the recovery process with a team of social workers.

32 year old Amanda Fraga just graduated from the program, now two years without meth. "I learned how to be accountable for all my actions, how to pay my rent on time, how to be a productive member in a house and in society," said Fraga.

Participants go through in patient and outpatient treatment, attend narcotic-anonymous meetings, take random drug tests, and check in at court every week. "Well they had a to do list and they give it to you every time you come in to court and if you come to court the next time and things weren't done, there was your accountability you'd have to write an essay or community service or jail sanctions just dependent on your offense," said Fraga.

Judge Alta Brady heads up drug court. In three years, it's helped 65 adults and 121 children. " Of our graduates we do not have anyone that has been charged with a new crime now I'm going to knock on wood because that's a little unrealistic to think that's never going to happen," said Judge Brady.

Kara Williams is also a proud graduate, returning only to show support. Already a 12 time convicted felon, behind bars facing 21 felony charges, Kara was looking for a way out of her life controlled by meth.

The program usually lasts 18 months but Kara needed 22. "It was not a breeze for her, she had such a serious substance abuse issue she came out on the other side a star, she turned her life around entirely," Judge Brady says of Kara.

Amanda Fraga now has custody of her two children with an eye on her future, "getting clean wasn't easy, recovery isn't easy, it's not comfortable and you just have to work hard on it on a daily basis," says Fraga.