Getting participants in the Rappahannock Regional Veterans Treatment Docket to mandatory counseling, treatment sessions, support meetings and court appearances can be trying due to transportation problems, said Wendy Harris, deputy public defender in Spotsylvania County.
She and Judge Ricardo Rigual helped start the program in 2018 along with support from the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff’s Office and Rappahannock Regional Jail. It’s modeled after drug-court programs and offers veterans the chance to have charges dismissed if they complete the intensive 18-month program. Only nonviolent offenders are eligible.
At Thursday’s regular session, Rigual checked in with eight veterans going through the five program phases and asked if each had any problems. One woman said she’d been late to a mandatory meeting because of transportation issues. Rigual congratulated her for also mentioning solutions she’d considered, to keep from being late again, but said he still had to impose a sanction against her. He added another half hour to her community service requirements.
Many veterans have lost driver’s licenses after being charged with driving under the influence, Harris said. Rigual has drafted legislation, asking Virginia to not impose that restriction on veterans going through this type of treatment program. In the first year alone, they’re required to attend sessions almost every day, Harris said.
One graduate told the court that he’d paid Uber drivers more than $800 to get him to sessions.
Each veteran has a mentor assigned and all are former servicemembers who volunteer their time just like all the court, police and jail officials involved with the program. Mentors try to drive veterans to as many appointments as they can but some have limited availability because of full-time jobs, Harris said.
She said the program is always is need of donations of gift cards for Uber and Lyft rides as well as more volunteer mentors. Anyone interested can contact her at wbharris@vadefenders.org.