West Virginia Implements New Behavioral Health Court for Prisoners
The Hancock County Circuit Court in West Virginia rolled out a new program this week to try to address behavioral problems in criminals, rather than pushing them through the court system.
The first session of what is called a behavioral health court was held on Jan. 14, under the supervision of Judge D.J. Davis at Hancock County’s Superior Court 1.
The behavioral health court will work similarly to the county’s existing drug court program, where defendants can talk about issues and receive treatment and talks from speakers that aim to transform behaviors that got those individuals into jail.
The program will only work with level four felony offenders or below, officials said. During the first session, two participants who are currently in jail appeared via Zoom and in person to discuss the mental health issues they currently face.
As the program continues to grow, program leaders hope to increase the participant size to 20 defendants, and seek to create more treatment paths, including medication, as part of the program.
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