Very Tough Love[1] is a radio documentary and an episode of This American Life (TAL), which originally aired on March 25, 2011.
In the spring of 2010, TAL staff took on a different challenge: follow the methods used by Charles Salter in the 1970s when he wrote hundreds of "Georgia Rambler" columns for the Atlanta Journal.
Nine diverse counties across Georgia were selected—none with a major city—and teams of reporters and producers fanned out to find an interesting story in each location.
The episode followed the show's standard format, telling the stories of several people, recording them speaking from their perspective.
[2][3] The episode's name is derived from Judge Amanda Williams' comments that she believes in the use of tough love by families dealing with drug problems.
The title is used because Williams' actions far exceed the normal standard of tough love, coming closer to Authoritarian parenting, which is often linked to negative outcomes.
[4] The show begins with Glass providing background on the home town of the person he is about to interview at Lee Arrendale State Prison in northeast Georgia.
One weekend when her dad was out of town, she forged two checks that totaled $100 from her father's account and used the money to buy drugs.
Her parents told her that the charges would be dropped if she agreed to check into an out-of-town drug treatment program, away from her friends.
The new system required court-supervised drug treatment which was cheaper than incarceration and helped people end their addiction and become productive members of society.
In 2005, there were 1,262 Drug courts in the United States, but the one in Brunswick was run by Judge Amanda Williams and many locals were afraid of her.
[7] On Friday of the week after her court appearance, she violated the 9 o'clock curfew and got caught, then failed a drug test.
[8] West Huddleston is executive director of the NADCP, the primary support organization for the nation's 2,400+ drug courts and 25,000 counselors, lawyers, and judges.
He commented: Any drug court that relies primarily on jail, or punishment generally, is operating way outside our philosophy and just does not understand addiction.
She would send them away for "indefinite sentences" and make comments like, "They're going to sit their ass over there till they get a better attitude" or "Take them away; you'll come back when I'm ready for you".
When Dills asked if the isolation was for the full 28 days, the guard told her that the order had been changed to an "indefinite sentence".
She ran out of the two antidepressants prescribed by the drug court doctor, and the guards weren't permitted to talk to her, so her depression returned, causing her to cry constantly.
Thanksgiving passed with no contact, but Dills convinced herself that Judge Williams wouldn't leave her in jail through Christmas.
Judge Williams warns those who choose a trial that if found guilty, they will not receive probation; they will go to prison for a minimum of 20 to 24 months.
West Huddleston, NADCP executive director, described the individuals to whom drug court programs are targeted: "long histories of addiction...multiple treatment failures...multiple times on probation...served previous jail or prison sentences...driven by their addiction".
One person called her a "monster" and stated, "This woman is the reason the rest of the country thinks Georgia is such a backwater.
"[22] Criticism of Williams following the show included claims that at times she imposed indefinite stays in jail and other excessively punitive sentences contrary to principles supported by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
"[26] After the story aired, Williams hired David G. Oedel, a law professor at Mercer University, who published an open letter to This American Life executive producer Ira Glass, claiming that the story was "riddled with falsehoods," and "libel masquerading as journalism.
[28] However, Glass stood by the story's details, especially his characterization of defendants receiving inappropriately harsh treatment in Williams' courtroom.
[29] In response to Oedel's threat to sue TAL for defamation, the show's lawyers defended Glass and the story, asserting that Williams' conduct "is certainly a matter of keen public interest".
[30] On November 9, 2011, the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) filed a 14-count ethics complaint against Williams, alleging she had incarcerated defendants indefinitely, made false statements, and engaged in nepotism and "tyrannical partiality".
[31] Judge Williams sent a letter to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal in mid-December 2011, indicating her intention to step down from the bench effective January 2, 2012.
[35] Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens appointed a special prosecutor to determine if Williams should face felony criminal charges for allegedly lying to JQC investigators.
[36][37] In February 2012, Long Island University announced that "Very Tough Love" won a 2011 George Polk Award for Radio Reporting.
[38] On February 22, 2012, the woman whose case prompted Glass to investigate and broadcast the "Very Tough Love" episode was released from probation by Glynn County Magistrate Timothy Barton, who replaced Williams.