By Erika Kengni
The Lexington and Buena Vista city councils have approved a total of $26,000 in new funding for a drug recovery court. The money will go towards hiring a full-time coordinator for the program.
The court would serve as a diversionary program for those suffering from substance use disorders who get charged with a drug-related crime, said Joshua Elrod, the commonwealth’s attorney for Buena Vista.
The Lexington City Council voted unanimously last week to fund the coordinator for the recovery court.
David Sigler, a member of the Lexington City Council, said that he was excited to fund the program, no matter how much it cost.
“Helping people recover, keeping people out of jail, keeping people with their families, or keeping them employed; these are all things that you can accomplish with this program.”
“Helping people recover, keeping people out of jail, keeping people with their families, or keeping them employed; these are all things that you can accomplish with this program,” Sigler said.
Organizers are aiming for the recovery court to start on April 1.
The Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors approved $50,000 for a coordinator. That money, combined with about $13,000 from the Lexington City council and $13,000 from the Buena Vista City Council, totals about $76,000 in funding for a coordinator. The salary will be about $50,000 with the rest going toward taxes and other fees.
After the first year, the state will fund the position, Elrod said.
The money that the three localities are allocating comes from settlements and lawsuits with drug companies and pharmacies involved with the opioid epidemic, Elrod said.
Elrod has been fighting for a drug rehabilitation court in Lexington for 10 years, Sigler said.
The search for a full-time coordinator for the program started after organizers received funding from Buena Vista and Lexington, Elrod said.
Blue Ridge Court Services, an organization that provides alternatives for offenders trying to change their lives and stay out of jail, will be supervising the coordinator, according to Nicholas Betts, a member of the Lexington City Council.
They have had success with recruitment so organizers are hopeful that they will be able to find a person to fill the role swiftly, Elrod said. There will be a job posting online and organizers are also searching within the area for qualified candidates.
Of the more than 100 inmates currently incarcerated in the Rockbridge County Regional Jail, about 78% of them were convicted of a drug-related crime, said Lt. Alesha Layman, who works at the jail.
There are three criteria that determine whether someone is eligible to enter the recovery court, Elrod said. They must have a substance use disorder; they must have a criminal charge against them related to their addiction; and they have to be interested in getting better.
“We hope that [participants] become healthier, more productive, more fulfilled members of the community.”
Those in the program will receive “intensive treatment and strict supervision,” according to a 2024 Virginia law.
Those participating in the court will undergo regular drug tests and checks to monitor their progress in the program, Elrod said. Counseling will be provided to participants in the program.
Participants will see a judge once a week, who will reprimand them if they are not progressing in the program, Elrod said.
“If [participants] make a mistake, there may be a sanction for that, but it is not going to be a sanction that terminates them from the program or is a dramatic change in their life,” he added.
Elrod said he thinks the recovery court can lessen the burden that such cases have on the justice system and help those who suffer from substance use disorder.
“We hope that [participants] become healthier, more productive, more fulfilled members of the community,” he said.