The Richard M. Fairbanks Circle of Hope Award recognizes outstanding contributions related to research, education or treatment of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. This year's recipient is the Honorable Linda L. Chezem.

Judge Chezem has served in the Indiana justice system for more than 30 years. She has extensive experience in working with federal and state government as well as law enforcement agencies in the area of substance abuse. Her focus on improvement of adjudication through judicial education led her to conclude that the abuse and addiction to alcohol and drugs is the single largest public health issue in the United States. Judge Chezem developed and implemented the Lawrence County Court Alcohol and Drug Services Program, which was the first of its kind to be certified by the Indiana Division of Addiction Services. She was instrumental in developing trainings to assist law enforcement officers in learning and recognizing the medical symptoms of intoxication and drug induced complications in detainees. She also served as a special assistant to Dr. Ting-Kai Li at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Judge Chezem is currently a professor in the School of Agriculture at Purdue University, and an adjunct professor at Indiana University School of Medicine. She also works with the Indiana Alcohol Research Center. Her expertise and advocacy for individuals struggling with the disease of addiction has changed and enhanced judicial and law enforcement policies both on a national and local level.