ALPENA — In the hallway outside the courtroom doors, standing in small groups and seated in chairs along the wall, a group of 20-some people wait patiently.

A mother gently pats the back of a infant, his head on her neck. Someone asks if he’s sleeping through the night, yet. A woman sings a simple tune, her voice pleasant and soft. Two men compare notes about their favorite Alcoholics Anonymous meeting groups, discussing which has the best discussion time.

It’s Wednesday morning at 10, and, in Alpena, that means drug court. The people in the hallway are waiting for their weekly one-hour check-in with Judge Thomas LaCross of the 88th District Court.

They are there because the court says they have to be there. And they are there to answer the question LaCross will ask each of them: “What’s new with you?”

The bailiff invites the waiting people into the courtroom at last. They take seats in the gallery, dressed in polos and khakis, button-down shirts, a sweater, a hunting cap.

Most of them seem comfortable. They have been there before, and they know what to expect.

People who have been arrested for a drug-related offense in Alpena may be considered for inclusion in the county’s drug court, allowing them to go through a two-year, high-intensity program designed to offer treatment instead of incarceration. Not everyone is accepted into the program. Administrators estimate that about a third of dozens of applicants each year are deemed eligible and ready to go through the rigorous treatment process.

One participant is ready for promotion from the first to the second of four phases of treatment. She has done well with the first phase, following the many guidelines of the program, passing drug tests, and holding down a job.

“I’m proud of you,” a member of the drug court team tells her, eliciting a grin and thumbs up to the rest of the group.

Another participant is almost ready for graduation. Making it through drug court is not a given. While a two-year probation period may sound easy in comparison with jail time, participants have to work hard to be allowed to stay in the program. Drug testing is frequent and unforgiving. Attendance is mandatory at multiple individual and group counseling sessions, along with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and the Wednesday morning visits to court. If they’re not on time for drug court, participants know, they could be arrested.

A woman shares a story of difficulty she faced staying drug-free. Temptation doesn’t just go away, and addiction pulls hard. The goal of drug court is non-use, permanently. That requires teaching skills and encouraging habits meant to help the participant stay away for a lifetime from the substance that has been their downfall.

LaCross commends the woman, who resisted the temptation to use, calling her an example of how to handle a difficult situation the right way. It was not easy, but she made a healthy choice of her own accord.

“Very tough, but very good. You did that,” the judge says.

Another participant reports on a new job. A requirement of drug court is steady employment or community service. Local employers sometimes have a problem when trying to hire, LaCross said, because so many potential workers fail their drug tests.

Sticking with a drug-free life opens doors and lets people use their skills in a positive way, he reminds the group.

“What’s new with you?” the judge asks each participant. One by one, they stand before the room, sharing their stories. Most are ongoing tales, started months ago, when their lives and decisions brought them to the court. They share stories about their children, their jobs, their everyday lives, the good and the bad.

The judge listens, commending good decisions and giving stern reminders where they’re due.

When a participant flashes with frustration at complications in his life tied to the court system, LaCross points him to the good to come in the months and years beyond the present difficulties, urging him to work toward that goal.

“At minimum, you can know this: For these two years, we are with you,” LaCross said. “For all the good things and the bad things.”