Staff photo / Ed Runyan Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Donofrio, right, listens as SCORE Court graduate Sam Malmisur reads remarks Wednesday during his graduation from SCORE Court. At left is Donofrio’s bailiff, Andrea Paventi.

YOUNGSTOWN — During a graduation ceremony this week for the Mahoning County Common Pleas Second Chance Offender Re-entry Court, Judge Anthony Donofrio outlined the philosophy of the program, which helps offenders reenter society after prison.

“Growth is not perfection. No one expects you to erase your past, to never stumble again or to become flawless overnight,” he said. “What matters is the small victories that each of you have shown throughout this program,” he said to the eight men who graduated from the program.

“The morning you choose to rise with purpose, attending (SCORE Court programming), even when you had no desire to do so; the decision to keep moving forward despite setbacks — these are the moments of genuine progress,” Donofrio said.

He said society judges people and success is often “measured by perfection,” but “your journey challenges that notion. You’ve shown us the real achievement is measured by effort and learning and determination and resilience. Every skill mastered, every payment of restitution that has been made, every job pursued and held onto, every driver’s license renewed, every GED obtained, every positive family interaction, every boundary pushed, every day of sobriety and every personal goal reached is a testament to all of your commitment to growth.”

He said, “Progress is often invisible to others — from improving your focus to rebuilding trust to discovering a new passion. So honor it; let it be the compass guiding your next steps,” he said. “Perfection is a mirage. Progress is your reality,” he said. “Every re-entry session you have attended, every challenge you have overcome, and every new skill you have obtained are proof that progress is possible, progress is possible and progress is yours.”

SCORE Court tries to help returning citizens transition from incarceration to the community by providing support, education, access to treatment and mental health services, housing and employment, according to program documents. It involves the SCORE Court team monitoring the person’s progress through regular appearances before the judge. The program takes two to five years.

He said the journey that the participants have made “inspires all of us.”

Andrea Paventi, Donofrio’s bailiff, who Donofrio called the “heart and soul” of the SCORE Court, introduced each of the graduates.

When she introduced Sam Malmisur, she said she is proud to say that he is attending Kent State University to obtain his master’s degree in social work and will be doing an internship at a local behavioral health organization.

Paventi, who was instrumental in creating the SCORE Court, said she believes the program is “here for a reason.” Speaking to the graduates, she said, “You needed this program. You needed this opportunity.” She said she believes Malmisur “will be an amazing counselor and amazing social worker.”

Paventi said in her career, she has been able to empathize with what people go through in addiction and other issues but does not “know what it is like to have been there” the way Malmisur does.

Malmisur read some prepared remarks.

“This journey began in January of 2021.” He said that after nine years of sobriety, he let substances back in his life and spent two years “trying to get sober again. I lost everything,” he said — his business, his truck, his wife and kids.

“I was alone, confused and overwhelmed,” he said. His conviction was “more of a desperate cry for help.”

His plea agreement called for a prison sentence and the chance to enter the SCORE Court after one year, which is what happened. He praised all of the people who helped him during his time in SCORE Court — police officers, counselors, teachers, judges, bailiffs and others.

“I am so grateful to each of them through this process,” he said.

Paventi said six of the eight graduates had violent felony convictions, and that is the population that can benefit the most from the program.

In addition to Paventi, Donofrio named the individuals who work with the SCORE Court participants during their time in the program.

They include an assistant county prosecutor and a defense attorney, and individuals from various organizations such as the Community Corrections Association of Youngstown, the Adult Parole Authority, Home For Good Resource Referral Center and the Route 11 Reentry Coalition, Flying High, Thrive Peer Support, Catholic Charities, United Returning Citizens, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities, and behavioral-health organizations TRAVCO and First-Step Recovery.

Donofrio’s SCORE Court this week received certification from the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Specialized Dockets.

“Specialized dockets offer an alternative to incarceration and reflect a community’s belief in second chances,” said Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy in a news release. “They focus on people who are willing to work to overcome the personal challenges that led to their involvement in the justice system. The court and community partners work together to supervise treatment, training and support, providing local solutions to local problems under leadership of the local court.”