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As Commonwealth's Attorney for Spotsylvania County, it was my honor to help establish multiple alternative sentencing and diversion programs in Spotsylvania County to provide a path forward for our community and for our veterans, non-violent offenders suffering from mental health symptoms, and the 1st-time misdemeanor offenders. It was also routine to send defendants to Rappahannock Regional Recovery Court, a drug treatment court that I sat on for many years during my approximate eleven and a half years working for the City of Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorneys Office.​
Rappahannock Regional Veteran's Docket
This program which my office began and turned into a regional program, helps U.S. Military veterans who are involved in the criminal justice system. It helps divert non-violent offenders from jail by offering substance abuse and mental health treatment over incarceration. The Docket participants are assisted through the program by Military Veteran Mentors who are always ready to help them succeed and graduate. Successful graduates in many circumstances are able to have a charge reduced or dismissed.
This program which my office began and turned into a regional program, aims to identify individuals experiencing Serious Mental Illness/Developmental Disabilities/Dual Diagnosis (SMI/DD/DD) symptoms who become involved in the criminal justice system. The goal is to quickly identify those individuals for referral and eligibility screening for participation in the BHD. This Program aims to divert eligible defendants with diagnosed mental health disorders into judicially supervised, community-based treatment, designed and implemented by a team of court staff and mental health professionals. The defendant may have their charges dismissed after successful completion of the program.
ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING PROGRAMS
This program is a joint effort between the two agencies (Spotsylvania Commonwealth's Attorney Office and the Rappahannock Regional Jail) to give first time offenders a chance to have a misdemeanor criminal charge dismissed. The participant’s case is continued for six (6)months, be of good behavior and they must perform 50 hours of community service work through the SLATE probation officer at the jail. The work consists of trash pickup in Spotsylvania County as the participants are assigned to the Spotsylvania County Litter work crews to perform their hours. Thus, the program is named the SLATE (Spotsylvania Litter and Trash Elimination) Program. It offers the participant a chance to “Wipe their slate clean” of a criminal conviction. This Program also brought approximately $100,000 in savings to county residents in my last five years, $133,930 since its creation, as the program made the paid contractors unnecessary.