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Funds Requested For Coordinator
Buena Vista Commonwealth’s Attorney Joshua Elrod spoke to Lexington City Council Thursday about the Maury River Recovery Court that was recently approved by the Virginia State Supreme Court and presented Council with a request for funds to help cover the costs of a recovery court coordinator to oversee the participants that go through the court.
Elrod presented Council with a letter in which he requested $13,174 from the city of Lexington to help cover the $77,262 costs for the coordinator. The letter also noted that Rockbridge County has already allotted $50,136 for the position, as well as an additional $9,360 for “supplies and other expenses of the court,” and that a request for $13,690 would be made to Buena Vista.
Elrod is asking that the money come from the city’s opioid lawsuit settlement money. The city currently has $15,178.15 in funds from those settlements, and is expecting an additional $17,522 in FY26.
He also gave Council an overview of the court and its role. The court offers a program through which individuals charged with drug offenses could seek an alternative to traditional court proceedings.
“It’s not a ‘go easy on people who are criminals’ program,” he explained. “It’s a program that is built on stringent oversight and really intensive supervision.”
He noted that similar courts are currently operating throughout the com- monwealth, including neighboring jurisdictions such as Alleghany and Botetourt counties and the cities of Staunton and Lynchburg.
“It’s one of the most effective ways to get certain classes of people through recovery,” he said. “It’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to do criminal justice” Elrod also answered questions from Council members about the court. Leslie Straughan asked if individuals who elect to go through the recovery court could have jail sentences reduced or waived if they go through the program. Elrod explained that it could be part of the program, if both attorneys and the judge agreed to that, as they would have to with any plea agreement. Straughan also asked if there were any recovery programs in the jail, and Elrod said that there are, but that they are “limited.”
“There’s a significantly smaller degree of certainty and uniformity about the kind of treatment they receive, and what we really look to do in recovery court … is to really integrate people with supports that are naturally out there in the community, and the idea is that it creates a more sustainable recovery,” he said.
Chuck Smith asked what impact the recovery court program had on recidivism rates. Elrod couldn’t recall the specific data in the meeting, but noted that the Virginia Supreme Court had a lot of research from the courts throughout Virginia that indicated that there was an impact on recidivism rates for individuals who went through the recovery court program, even if they didn’t complete the 12- to 18-month program.
David Sigler asked about the longterm funding for the coordinator position, if there would be a continuous funding request for the city or if other funding sources could be utilized. Elrod said that there were grants available for drug courts and that the plan was to apply for them in the future, but that it would be points in their favor to establish the court and show that there is community support for it.
Though no vote was taken on the funding request at last week’s meeting, Vice Mayor Marylin Alexander expressed her support for the court and its mission.
“It might be slow progress, but every little bit helps in the long run, [and] to see that finally happening finally in Lexington, Rockbridge and Buena Vista, it’s going to be a real positive impact on the community, I think,” she said.
