“White Boy” Rick Wershe served as a judge las week at an annual art contest featuring 53 works of participants in the specialty courts at 41B District Court in Clinton Township. Wershe, 55, who was released from prison in 2020 after serving 33 years, attended the display of the artwork and awarding of prizes to winners Thursday at the courthouse, at which court officials operate four treatment courts — drug, DWI, veterans and mental health.

“Every day free is a blessing,” Wershe said. “Everybody doesn’t get a second chance.”

Wershe traveled from his Miami home to attend the event, said Kara Hartman, director of specialty courts. Thursday marked the 38-year anniversary of Wershe’s arrest, Hartman said.

“Rick has been a longtime supporter of 41B Specialty Courts and spent time getting to know the participants by listening to their stories and offering advice,” Hartman said. “He decided to celebrate that anniversary by helping us out.”

Wershe will “drop everything to help support our programs and our participants,” she said. “It’s his way of giving back.”

Wershe was sentenced to life in prison in 1988 in state court in Wayne County on a drug-dealing conviction at age 17 three years after he became the youngest FBI informant. Following a concerted effort to free him, he was paroled from a Michigan prison in 2017 and then was behind bars for three years Florida for operating an auto-theft scheme in 2006 when he was imprisoned there as part of a federal witness protection program. A movie was made off his experience.

Also serving as judges were Clinton Township Trustee Dan Kress, township Deputy Supervisor, Dan O’Leary and Harrison Township Trustee and business owner David Bratto.

The art contest was held as part of National Treatment Court Month and carried the theme, “What recovery means to me.”

The first-place winner was “Dan” (full names were withheld) from Veterans Court who performed an original song, wrote a poem and “illustrated both,” Hartman said. An entry featuring a rose on wood work, which participant “Jackie’s” said represented her regrowth, placed second, according to Hartman.

More than 500 participants have graduated from the 41B treatment since the first one was created in 2011, according to Hartman. The four courts currently have 70 participants, and 11 have graduated this year.

“Treatment Courts work collaboratively with community partners to bring hope, mend families and save lives,” Hartman said.