Former Carbon woman rewarded for successful fight of drug addiction

A former Carbon County woman’s long fight with drug addiction and her successful completion of that battle was rewarded on Friday in the county court.

Jennifer Rose Stefanick, 21, of Harrisburg, and formerly of Summit Hill, was sentenced to serve up to 472 days, which equals the time she spent in a Salvation Army inpatient program and prison term, and paroled.

She previously pleaded guilty to a drug charge and false identification count.

Stefanick was revoked from her first sentence after violating conditions. She then entered the Salvation Army program and successfully completed it. She is still receiving counseling in the program in Harrisburg and now working in the Harrisburg area.

She told Joseph J. Matika, “I just put my whole life in the past and started over.”

She said she had been struggling with addiction for some time before getting help. She said it took two years of her life to get back on track and now is clean of all illegal substances.

Matika congratulated her. “I’m glad you made such a turnaround in your life. I’m proud of you.”

She was arrested on Aug. 26, 2015, when Lansford police were dispatched to the 300 block of West Patterson Street for suspected drug use.

Stefanick was found in a vehicle with heroin and also her 6-month-old daughter. The term imposed by Matika was for both criminal charges.

He also ordered her to pay court costs of about $1,000.