Patrick County began participating in the 21st Judicial District Drug Court Treatment Program on January 1, Commonwealth Attorney Dayna Kendrick Bobbitt said.
She explained that Drug Treatment Courts are specialized court dockets within the existing structure of Virginia’s court system that offer judicial monitoring of intensive treatment and strict supervision of addicts in drug and drug-related cases.
“Drug treatment court is designed to help low-risk, non-violent offenders suffering from addiction. Through voluntary admission, eligible defendants are invited to participate in the Drug Treatment Court docket following a specialized screening and assessment,” she said.
Piedmont Community Services (PCS) Justice Support Supervisor Quincy Gravely said drug court participants who complete the program can have their underlying criminal offenses dismissed or expunged.
“In treatment court, treatment providers work with law enforcement, probation, defense, prosecution, and the judge to hold participants accountable and provide ongoing support,” he said.
Bobbitt said preliminary research demonstrates that drug court graduates tend to have lower rates of criminal activity and increased linkages to treatment services when compared to defendants who go through the traditional court system.
“This specialized docket is also shown to save Virginia taxpayers money compared to traditional case processing. In 2019, Adult Drug Court Treatment dockets saved Virginia nearly $11 million,” she said.
Bobbitt said the discussion to bring drug court to the 21st Judicial District began in 2018, “however, there were only enough funds to start the program in Henry County. Once that was established, they expanded to Martinsville City, and most recently they received grant funding that allowed the program to extend into Patrick County.”
Established in 2021, the Piedmont Adult Drug Treatment Court admitted its first participants in April 2022. It’s one of more than 4,000 drug treatment courts in the United States that treat around 150,000 people.
“I am absolutely thrilled that additional grant funding finally made it possible to expand this program,” Bobbitt said. “I believe this specialized docket will provide much-needed services and supervision to people who so desperately need it, which will hopefully reduce recidivism and help these offenders become productive members of society.”
Because the program is therapeutic in nature, Bobbitt said it lasts as long as necessary to treat addiction, “however, the average length of participation is 12-18 months.”
In Martinsville-Henry County, Gravely said the Piedmont Adult Drug Court meets every other Friday on the third floor of the Henry County Court House with Judge Carter Greer presiding.
Thus far, there are a total of 15 participants in the program, “with two graduates and other participants are scheduled to graduate March 7,” he said.
There are pending referrals In Patrick County, but no participants at this point, Gravely said.
Those eligible to join the drug court must be at least 18 years old at the time of sentencing or adjudicated as an adult, be a resident of the 21st Judicial District, have a reliable smartphone or landline, and choose to join voluntarily.
Gravely said eligible participants may have a brief history of misdemeanor assault and be clinically evaluated to meet the DSM 5 criteria for moderate or severe Substance Use Disorder Diagnoses.
Offenders with a co-occurring diagnosis of mental illness are reviewed for admission on an individual basis (excluding unsuccessfully managed psychotic disorders).
At the Commonwealth’s Attorney discretion, offenses include primarily drug-driven, possession, forgery and uttering, larceny, embezzlement, most property crimes, fraud, accommodation, distribution, and conspiracy to sell drugs.
Those who are ineligible to join the drug court have a violent offender history, prior weapons or sex offender, offenders with unsuccessfully managed psychotic disorders, offenders with chronic medical problems being treated with addictive medications, and offenders with medical problems that would preclude them from actively and regularly participating in all parts of the program.
Those with misdemeanors, violent offenses, weapons offenses, burglary of an occupied dwelling, sex offenses, DUI third offense, and offenses considered category I and II offenses as defined by the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission will be excluded from the program.
For more information, contact Gravely at qgravely@piedmontcsb.org.
