City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 6, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to Establish a Drug Treatment Court.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a grant application to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (Department of Justice), for funding to support the implementation of the Alexandria Treatment Court ("ATC").
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Ratify a grant application to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice
Assistance in the amount of $496,553 for funds to implement a drug treatment court
in the City of Alexandria; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
DISCUSSION: Beginning in January of 2018, a number of City agencies began meeting to discuss the process for adopting a drug treatment court in Alexandria. This Alexandria Treatment Court ("ATC") would address the needs of adults charged with felony offenses in the City whose criminal conduct stems from substance abuse. This idea is an outgrowth of discussions from the City's Opioid Work Group regarding how to best address the local effects of the nation's opioid crisis. It should be noted that the Alexandria Criminal Justice/Behavioral Health Collaborative Committee, an inter-agency organization that has focused on bridging the gap between behavioral health and the criminal justice system has identified the development of this court as the most unmet need in our community in terms of diversion from the judicial system. Presently there are ten City agencies represented on the ATC Advisory Committee who have begun developing this program. These include the City Manager's Office, the Circuit Court, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Commonwealth's Attorney, the Public Defender, the Department of Community and H...
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