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A court diversion program saved his life. Now he guides others through the program

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A court diversion program saved his life. Now he guides others through the program


Michael Holder grew up in south Oklahoma City drinking and doing drugs.

By age 40, he’d been stabbed, arrested and even shot in the neck with a 9 mm pistol. The bullet missed his spine by 2 centimeters as it exited his back, he says.

What Holder expected would be a life of crime with an early ending changed in 2021, however, when an assistant public defender convinced him to enter into a drug court diversion program started at Oklahoma County District Court in 1995.

“I was headed down a bad path,” says Holder, 42, who today is clean and works as a peer recovery support specialist at the Diversion Hub while pursuing an addiction counseling degree at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City.

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After that, he plans to obtain a psychology degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, and perhaps one day, a doctorate.

“I’m on a 10-year plan,” he says.

For now, Holder enjoys his work at the Diversion Hub in Oklahoma City as a navigator helping people who are participating in the county’s Court Ordered Outpatient Diversion program, a treatment-based program for criminal offenders whose problems are rooted in mental health issues.

“God had a purpose for me. I just wasn’t ready yet,” he reflects today.

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Holder believes there are others like him who are looking for the same kind of help, and additional funds recently received by the county and Diversion Hub should help.

More: These Oklahomans needed mental health care. Instead, they died in jail

The $1 million grant made by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance will help significantly increase the diversion drug court’s capacity over the next four years.

The money eventually will expand the program’s capacity from the 150 participants it handles today to 250 at any given time, a release about the grant states.

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The need definitely is there. Only 57% of those seeking to enter the program in 2022 were admitted, largely because of staffing shortages, the release states.

Specifically, the additional funds will help the county’s drug court bring on an additional assistant district attorney and an additional public defender.

It also will pay to add a program navigator, who will work with 125 drug court participants each year to help them secure needed services by guiding them to appropriate resources.

Plus, the grant is paying to introduce new case management software to make it easier for the court’s staff to supervise program participants, and it is setting aside other dollars to help participants pay for required urinalyses while they look for steady work.

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Funding for the new navigator is critical, says Melissa Walton, strategic director of Oklahoma County’s Treatment Courts program.

“When someone pleas into the drug court program right now, we have recovery navigators who help get them out of jail, help them get started doing urinalyses and put them in touch with their probation officers,” Walton said.

“But as they go through latter stages of the program, they might need more help to get their IDs, GEDs and find jobs so they can finish the program, and that’s a little bit harder if you don’t have a support system,” she said.

Nine diversion programs operated by Oklahoma County’s courts system

Oklahoma County’s jail population fell below 1,300 the first weekend of December, marking the first time since 1996 it has held so few prisoners.

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The jail in early December also was no longer the state’s largest. Its population on Dec. 5 was 1,325 detainees, compared to 1,419 in Tulsa County, jail CEO Brandi Garner told the Oklahoma County’s jail trust on Dec. 4.

The per capita detainee rate for Oklahoma County stood at 166 per 100,000 residents, while Tulsa County’s per capita detainee rate was 212 per 100,000, Garner said.

More: Oklahoma’s Narcan vending machines have dispensed thousands of life-saving doses in six months

“There is a lot of people who deserve credit for this,” said Garner, who took an opportunity to thank Oklahoma County’s judges, district attorneys, public defenders, bondsmen, her staff and Oklahoma County’s diversion programs.

“It is astounding to see all of the teamwork” making that progress possible, she said.

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There’s no doubt that Oklahoma County’s diversion programs help.

Including Drug Court, Oklahoma County’s courts currently operate nine different diversion programs involving about 1,300 defendants, giving people charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes alternatives to jail and prison sentences. They include:

  • ReMerge Court: A pre-trial diversion program serving high-risk, high-needs mothers facing nonviolent felony offenses.
  • DREAMS (Diversion, Recovery, Engagement and Mental Support) Court: A program that serves individuals facing felony charges who suffer from mental illnesses, developmental disabilities or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
  • DUI Court: Offers participants facing that particular felony the tools they need for rehabilitation through individualized, evidence-based treatment.
  • Community Sentencing: Program designed to assist individuals facing felony charges by providing them with supervision, treatment, personal development, and employment assistance services.
  • Misdemeanor Diversion: Program that gives individuals charged with misdemeanors in Oklahoma County a chance to engage with appropriate treatment services to help them overcome barriers by using community resources to meet their needs.
  • COOP (Court Ordered Out Patient) Diversion: Program that gives individuals access to treatment programs after they have been charged with misdemeanors because of mental health issues.
  • Veterans Diversion: Program giving veterans charged with misdemeanors a chance to engage with appropriate treatment and community services to help them overcome barriers.
  • Veterans Treatment Court: An 18-month-long program designed to give veterans who are struggling with trauma, mental illnesses and/or substance abuse issues opportunities to receive treatment and to work with case managers to apply for any Veterans Affairs benefits they have earned.

As for the Drug Court diversion program, Walton said 73.5% of its participants have completed the three-year program since July 1, 2022. She said 83% of them are living with their children, and 99.3% are employed.

Other grants awarded, sought by Oklahoma County

In November, the Oklahoma County district attorney’s office received a grant for about $1 million to bolster the county’s Veterans Diversion program.

District Attorney Vicki Behenna said the office will use the grant to identify veterans being held on criminal offenses earlier in the adjudication process to get more of them into treatment.

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Like Holder, participant David Onzahwah, who served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a legal administrator including during Operation Phantom Fury in 2004 also credits it for changing his life.

Onzahwah entered the treatment program after being arrested in 2018 on a felony complaint of assault and battery by strangulation.

Today, he is a peer specialist at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs offices.

“Veterans Treatment Court saved my life,” said Onzahwah. “Going through the program was like a mission assignment to me. It sparked a fight in me to keep improving myself in order to accomplish goals. I want the public to know that this program saves lives, reduces stigmas and helps heal veterans that are having trouble adjusting to the civilian lifestyle.”

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“These veterans work hard and are eager to change their lives for the better. Veterans Treatment Court gives them an opportunity to make this change,” said Oklahoma County District Court Judge Brent Dishman, who oversees that program.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma County Commissioners in December authorized the county’s staff to seek about $2.4 million as its share of money set aside within Oklahoma’s County Community Safety Investment Fund.

The fund gets its dollars from court-related costs savings brought about by the Smart Justice Reform Act.

Oklahoma County intends to use those dollars to expand Oklahoma County’s diversion courts program further, said Walton and Assistant Public Defender Madison Mélon, who supervises programming and staff for all of Oklahoma County’s diversion programs, plus represent defendants who are in the program.

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Walton and Mélon credit the nearly two-dozen nonprofits that partner with the courts and Oklahoma County’s Diversion Hub to provide those defendants with the services they need to help them succeed.

They are especially appreciative of the Diversion Hub for its willingness to hire former program graduates like Holder to be navigators for new defendants just coming into the diversion programs.

“We started in 2019 with just two peers provided through the Oklahoma City-County Health Department. Before that, we didn’t have any,” Mélon said. “I love these people and want to help them, but I have never been where they are. I can only do so much.”

That’s where people like Holder come in.

Before getting into the program in early 2021, Holder had been arrested and charged nine months earlier of two counts of unauthorized use of motor vehicle (he was in possession of a 2022 Lincoln Navigator and a 2020 Ford Focus that weren’t his when he was arrested) and three counts of possessing and concealing stolen property.

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He said it took a wake-up call in Oklahoma County’s jail and finding God for him to be able to “basically just quit, just quit the stupidness and insanity I was going through.”

When he meets someone getting out of the jail now, he shows them a lone image he keeps from his past — a mugshot of his most recent arrest.

He buried the actual picture he had of himself before then in a field off NW 122 and Pennsylvania Avenue during a funeral he gave himself, Holder said.

“I had to change my people, my places and my things. I cut ties with all of them,” he said.

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“I am somebody who has been there and done that as far as addiction and interfacing with the criminal justice system goes, and I am somebody who knows what it is like. I have lived it,” he said. “People can see that.

“Drug treatment court saved my life. All these people combined really helped, and I am grateful for that every day. For people who want to follow it? It works.”

Mélon and Walton would love to see more people like Holder working with their clients, they said.

“We now have three, four, five, soon-to-be six full-time peers that the Diversion Hub has hired for us working on the teams, and it has been the biggest blessing, in so many different ways both for participants and the the staff,” Mélon said.

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“They are a daily reminder of why we get up and come to work every day. I always say they are my favorite coworkers, more than anyone else. It is just different and fun to get to work with them,” Mélon said.



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Oklahoma

Vote: Who is the best high school girls’ basketball player in the state of Oklahoma?

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Vote: Who is the best high school girls’ basketball player in the state of Oklahoma?


As we approach the halfway point in the girls’ high school basketball season, we’ve decided to post 20 of the top high school girls basketball players in the state of Oklahoma and let the fans decide who their top player is.

The Sooner State is loaded up with some of the top talent in the country. This list is packed with Division I talent, four- and five-star recruits, and others having fantastic seasons for their respective programs. Many fantastic players didn’t make the list. See if your favorite player did, read about each one and cast your vote.

You may vote as many times as you’d like between now and when the poll closes on Jan. 31, at 11:59:59 p.m. E.T.

Other top high school sports news:

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Decision by No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez has finalists searching for answers

Top Arkansas Razorbacks recruit Jordan Martin has Missouri buzzing

Nation’s No. 1 girls high school basketball recruit Aaliyah Chavez scores 124 points in Caprock Texas Classic

Top Missouri girls high school basketball program extends five-year winning streak

The standout junior scored 15 points in an 81-48 victory over Meade County (KY) on Dec. 20 and has helped the Trojans to a 7-1 start in 2024. As a sophomore, she played a key role in helping Douglass reach its first state tournament since 1992. She is currently weighing offers from Oklahoma State and Nebraska-Omaha, respectively.

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The sophomore guard averaged 18 points per game as a freshman at Idabel – leading the Warriors to the Class 3A championship – before transferring to Broken Bow. So far, the Lady Savages are 1-1 so far in 2024, coming off a 70-37 win at Heavener on Dec. 19. She has an offer from Abilene Christian.

Donley scored a game-high 24 points and added 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in a 52-33 win over Harding Charter Prep on Dec. 20. The reigning Class 4A state finals MVP, Donley helped lead Bethany to back-to-back state titles and a 4-2 mark in 2024.

A 5-foot-9 guard who averaged 19 points per game last season at Classen SAS, Durley moved to Edmond North where she has helped the Huskies to a 4-4 mark so far. Durley holds offers from Marquette, Oral Roberts, Nevada and others.

Scored 28 points to surpass 1,000 career points during a loss to Norman on Dec. 20. As a junior she averaged 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two points per game.

A 6-foot wing, Herrod is a 4-star recruit by ESPN. She’s ranked No. 59 overall in the nation on the ESPN Hoopgurlz 100 and ranked No. 42 overall in the nation by 247 Sports. She averaged 13 points, five rebounds and two steals per game at Millwood last season before transferring to Putnam North.

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The 6-1 all-state guard and 4-star recruit entered this season ranked No. 49 on the ESPNw Top 100. She surpassed 1,000 career points last season while averaging 16 points, five rebounds and two steals. The Huskies are 4-4 this seasons.

After averaging 20 points per game in 2023-24, Johnson entered the 2024-25 season rated the sixth-best recruit in Oklahoma and 41st overall in the nation on the ESPNW HoopGurlz 100. She earned the 38th overall ranking in the nation by 247Sports and earned a 4-star rating by ESPN.

Originally committed to Nebraska before reopening her recruitment and committing to Michigan, in six games this season, Mathurin – 5-10 shooting guard – is averaging 21.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks. She is an ESPN 4-star recruit.

One of the most talented underclassmen in the state, Minor is rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN. The 6-foot guard averaged 14 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals as a freshman. She is reportedly receiving interest from many Division I programs.

The 5-11 forward won a Class 2A state championship in softball at Dale and added back-to-back trips to the Class 2A finals in basketball. She helped the Pirates go 30-2 last season on the court. They are currently ranked No. 1 in Oklahoma Class 2A and are currently 11-1 this season.

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A multi-sport athlete, Parker – the 2023-24 Gatorade National High School Softball Player of the Year – averaged 29.3 points per game on the court while leading Pocola to the 2A state tournament last season. She’s helped her team to a 4-0 start so far.

An ESPN 5-star recruit and one of the tops in the country, Parks committed with the Jayhawks after scoring 26.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 2.9 assists as a junior – helping lead Norman to the Class 6A championship along the way.

An ESPN 4-star recruit, Richardson garnered a lot of college buzz before committing to SMU. She averaged 24 points as a freshman.

One of the top uncommitted underclassmen in the state, Stewart is believed to be holding offers from Missouri, Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas A&M, Wake Forest and Nebraska after helping lead Lincoln Christian to back-to-back Class 4A state championships.

A Bethel transfer, Megehee averaged 24.9 points per game last season.

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One of the top 2025 recruits in the state, Williams averaged 16.2 points last year for the state power. She is an ESPN 4-star recruit.

A Class 3A all-state selection, Gaddy averaged 20.9 points as a junior for Alva – where she also excels in cross country and track and field. Gaddy scored 25 points in a 45-39 victory over Owasso at the Mustang Holiday Classic on Dec. 27.

Committed to Oklahoma at the start of her sophomore season on Sept. 4, 2022, after considering offers from Kentucky, Ohio State, Florida State and Michigan. Holds a 5-star composite rating by 247Sports. She averaged 18 points as a sophomore and led Bethany to the Class 4A state championship. The 6-1 guard has the Bronchos off to a 4-2 start in 2024-25.

Alston reportedly has six Division I offers. A guard/forward combo, Alston averaged 12.4 points as a sophomore and has helped lead Mustang to a 7-3 mark to open this season.

Also considered: Mercades Lopez, sr., Idabel; Shelby Thornton, sr., Del City; Talia Vann, sr., Grind Prep; Skylar Anderson, jr., Dale; Saniyah Morrison, sr., Tulsa Rogers.

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What’s the future of OKC’s development? Join us for an ‘In Depth’ discussion

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What’s the future of OKC’s development? Join us for an ‘In Depth’ discussion


Imagine being in the room with three people who are spending billions on an ongoing transformation of Oklahoma City that ranges from entertainment, hospitality and sports to biotech and industry to downtown housing. 

Now imagine getting to ask questions about what’s next and how Dick Tanenbaum, Mark Beffort and Christian Kanady have gone about forming partnerships that sometimes include each other, and at other times have drawn big names like NBA star Russell Westbrook. 

All three are working together on Convergence, a mixed-use development that will include a hotel, bio-tech lab space and offices. The development at NE 8 facing Interstate 235 will include a biomanufacturing workforce training center, event hall, conference rooms, workspace, lounge and café. 

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Beffort and Tanenbaum are already partners in the development of OKC 577, a sprawling industrial campus at Eastern Avenue and Interstate 240 that will open with a new Locke Supply headquarters. 

Kanady and Beffort are teamed up to develop an entertainment and hospitality district adjacent to the MAPS 4 multi-use stadium. Kanady bought the Energy FC last year and has plans to not just resume play but to also launch a women’s soccer team.

Kanady is also the financial backer of Prairie Surf Studios, which is about to lose its home at the old Cox Convention Center as it is to be torn down to make way for a new arena. 

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Tanenbaum, who started renovating older downtown office buildings into housing is wrapping up similar conversions of the former BancFirst headquarters and Medical Arts building into The Harlow apartments. His next project is the renovation of the Robinson Renaissance into apartments while keeping the building’s three-level retail mall. 

Beffort, meanwhile, continues to oversee leasing of downtown’s premier office towers and is also a partner in both the Colcord and Skirvin Hilton hotels. 

I will be moderating this OKC Central In-Depth panel discussion on Jan. 21 and I’ll be eager to find out what’s next for Prairie Surf Studios, programing at the future stadium, what the stadium district might look like, prospects for more conversions of downtown offices into housing, and what’s next for Convergence and OKC 577. I will also be asking questions submitted by those in attendance.

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Oklahoma legislator introduces bills to restructure drivers license restoration

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Oklahoma legislator introduces bills to restructure drivers license restoration


OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) – An Oklahoma lawmaker wants to break down some of the barriers for former inmates working to reenter society.

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom (R-Adair) introduced a series of bills that would restructure drivers license restoration.

One bill would let people whose licenses expired while in prison to apply for a temporary provisional license without needing to pay any outstanding fines or fees for a six-month period.

The second bill is similar but allows for license holders who can make payments to begin paying fees immediately. The third bill would grant people a 90-day grace period where their expired license would be valid, during which time they could get a new license.

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The Department of Corrections would also be tasked with giving inmates the needed documents to get a provisional license.



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