'I don't plan on going back'

May 12-MOSES LAKE - Abel Valdez didn't walk into Community Court expecting a fresh start.

In his own words, he had "already accepted to go back to prison."

But on a spring afternoon in Moses Lake, surrounded by treatment staff, court specialists, peers and a judge who had watched him fight for a different life, Valdez became the 18th graduate of the Community Court program - and a living example of what happens when someone decides to rewrite their story.

As Judge Brian Gwinn, who presides over the court, explained, the program exists to help people who are repeat offenders to find stability in hopes of ending a pattern of illegal behavior. The court requires structure, accountability and treatment to help people move past challenges.

A journey that almost didn't happen

Valdez's path into the program began in crisis. As Community Court specialist Manny Garcia recalled, Abel reached out from jail, overwhelmed and unsure.

"He called me and said, 'I need to get out of here. I need a second start,'" Garcia said. "That was when he hit it off. He already knew what he needed to do - the hardest part was adjusting to everything else."

From the beginning, staff saw both the risk and the potential. Abel was honest, outspoken, sometimes blunt - traits that could have derailed him but instead became the foundation of his growth.

"You spoke your mind," one Rebuilt team member told him. "Sometimes it was a little annoying - but it was honest. And that honesty is why you got so much out of the program."

Learning to stay instead of run

Early on, Valdez admits he wanted to bolt.

"I did want to run," he said. "I was scared and super prideful."

But the Spokane's Rebuilt treatment team - Gavin, Ryan, Alyssa, Tracy and others - kept him grounded. They pushed him, challenged him and refused to let him slip back into old patterns.

One counselor praised his ability to fight "instant gratification," a core struggle in addiction recovery.

"You fought it, you fought it, you fought it," they said. "And now you're on the other side."

Another staff member noted that Abel made a pivotal choice months earlier when he decided not to return home, even though he could have.

"You stayed in Spokane when you didn't have to," they said. "You did things the right way."

A story that stuck with the court

Judge Brian Gwinn, who presides over Community Court, said Abel's exit interview revealed a childhood marked by trauma and instability - experiences that shaped his early choices but didn't define his future.

"A lot of bad things happened when you were young," Gwinn said. "To expect someone to get through that is tough. But you've grown. You've made great decisions over time, not all of them, otherwise you wouldn't be here - but you're growing."

The judge said Abel's transformation wasn't just about becoming a better father, though that was a powerful motivator.

"It's not just about the kids," he said. "You can't be the father you want to be unless you're healthy. And you've shown you can do that."

A year of change

In an interview after the ceremony, Valdez listed the milestones he never expected to reach including being one year and two months sober, married, a baby on the way and a new job waiting in Oregon.

"Life's just taking a toll differently from where I came from," he said.

The biggest change?

He said: confidence.

"Before, I cared how everybody saw me. Now I don't. People are going to judge me regardless. I'm just going to live my life," Valdez said.

He said he often felt judged by his decision to get facial and neck tattoos at a young age. He said he let the ink and his previous decisions define him for a long time, but now he realizes it doesn't matter.

"Some people don't like how I look, and I have decided that they are going to judge me, no matter what. So I might as well be the person I want to be, if they want to meet the real me, then great. If they want to judge me on my appearance, great. I don't care anymore," Valdez said.

'It really does work'

Valdez is quick to credit the program - but even quicker to acknowledge that the work was his.

"They'll provide everything, but you have to put in the footwork," he said. "You have to get your hands dirty. It's only as hard as you make it."

He also expressed deep gratitude for the people who believed in him when he didn't believe in himself.

"If it wasn't for this program, I probably wouldn't have gotten a second chance," he said. "I wouldn't have the relationship I have with my wife. I would not be a dad, here soon. I'm really grateful."

Graduate no. 18 - and a new beginning

As the courtroom applauded, Valdez accepted two certificates: one for completing the Rebuilt substance use disorder treatment and one for graduating Community Court. He signed the poster - No. 18 - and stood among the people who had walked with him through the hardest year of his life.

The judge closed the ceremony with a reminder:

"You're the one who made it happen," Gwinn said. "You proved you can do it. Just keep going forward."

For Valdez, graduation wasn't an ending. It was the first chapter of a life he once thought he'd never get to live.

"I am excited to finally live. I have a beautiful wife, a baby on the way, and I am finally making my own decisions," Valdez said. "I don't plan on going back."

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