More Information on Programs and Victim Services

Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Office

Drug Court

Pretrial Intervention [PTI] for Adults

Juvenile Pretrial Intervention

(JPTI)

Worthless Check Unit

Youth Mentoring 

Community Juvenile Arbitration

Equine Assisted Therapy

Alcohol Education Program

Operation Community Justice

 

Camps Turn Around & Turning Point

APPLICATION: At the initial interview, the offender pays a $100 application fee. Application must be accompanied by a social security card, driver’s license or other picture ID, and the warrant ticket.

 

 INVESTIGATION: All parties in the case are contacted and a criminal history on the offender is checked.

 

 APPROVAL: The Solicitor makes the final decision regarding admission into the program. If admission is denied, the case is returned to court.

 

 PARTICIPATION: The offender pays a $250 participation fee and completes all requirements of the program.

 

 DISMISSAL: Upon successful completion of the program, an Expungement Order for destruction of arrest records is awarded.

 

If at any point the offender does not comply with the requirements of the program, the case will be returned to the court for prosecution.

 

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM?

Participants must be employed or enrolled in school, Adult Education or a GED program if applicable. Most participants will be required to attend group of individual counseling in addition to at least 40 hours of community service work. Other requirements may include attending a prison tour and/or drug testing. Restitution or payment to the victim must be paid in full.

 

WHY SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE IN PTI?

 

If you are convicted of charges by entering a guilty plea, or by being found guilty at trial, the conviction will remain on your criminal record for the rest of your life. PTI offers you a chance to clear those charges from your arrest record. Also, your driver’s license will not be revoked for charges which require revocation.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

 

· Defendants must plead guilty and receive sentences.

· The sentence is transferred to the Drug Court 18-month program.

· Cost of the program to the defendant is $30 per week after the initial $100 application fee.

· Upon successful completion of Drug Court, the sentence is satisfied.

· Unsuccessful termination from the program leads to the sentence being activated.

 

DESCRIPTION

 

· The Fourth Judicial Circuit operates an in-house treatment program licensed by DHEC.

· The program is divided into four phases.

· The first three phases consist of outpatient counseling with treatment intensity decreasing as the patient progresses.

· Phase 1 is group counseling three times weekly for four months.

· Phase 2 is group counseling two times weekly for four months.

· Phase 3 is group counseling once weekly for four months.

· Phase 4 is a six-month probationary period. 

 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

· Criminal activity must be related to the addiction.

· No violent crimes are eligible; “violent” is defined as causing harm to injury to persons and/or use of deadly weapons.

· Must be referred by a prosecuting attorney assigned to the case.

· Must have clinical diagnosis of addiction per assessment completed by a Drug Court clinical counselor.

· Prior offenders and Dual diagnosis persons may be eligible on a case by case basis; each requires further psychological evaluation.

HOW DOES JPTI WORK?

 

 INVESTIGATION: All parties in the case are contacted and a criminal history on the offender is checked.

 

 APPROVAL: The Solicitor makes the final decision regarding admission into the program. If admission is denied, the case is returned to court.

 

 APPLICATION: The juvenile offender must pay (by cash or money order) a $50 application fee at the initial interview, and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The juvenile completes the application and is given certain requirements to fulfill within 90 days.

 

 PARTICIPATION: The juvenile offender pays a participation fee and completes all requirements of the program.

 

 DISMISSAL: Upon successful completion of the program, the defendant’s charge(s) are cleared.

 

If at any point the offender does not comply with the requirements of the program, the case will be returned to the court for prosecution.

 

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS? Participants must be enrolled in school, Adult Education or a GED program if applicable. Most participants will be required to attend group or individual counseling in addition to at least 20 hours of community service. Other requirements may include attending a prison tour, Operation Get Smart, Insiders, Camp Turning Point or Camp Turn Around, and drug testing. Restitution must be paid in full.

 

WHY SHOULD YOU PARTICIPATE IN JPTI? If you are convicted of charges by entering a guilty plea, or because you are found guilty at trial, the conviction will remain on your criminal record. JPTI offers you a chance to clear those charges from your permanent record.

 

 

The Worthless Check Unit operates within the Office of the Fourth Circuit Solicitor to provide for the collection and distribution of restitution to the victims of worthless checks. The Program transfers the collection process from the victim to the Solicitor’s Office, reducing the victim’s work and cost associated with collections.  The traditional prosecution of worthless checks is still the law. Participation by a victim in the Worthless Check Program is optional and FREE.

 

The worthless Check Program is self-sustaining under the control and supervision of Solicitor Hodge’s office and is supported through cooperation of the judicial system, law enforcement, Chesterfield County Council and community service agencies. Operational costs are recovered from the offenders, not the victim.

 

Upon full collection of a worthless check, the Solicitor’s Worthless Check Unit will issue a check to the victim for the full amount of the check plus any statutorily approved service charges.

 

COLLECTION PROCEDURE

 

· When you receive a worthless check and it meets the legal requirements, you may submit the check and Victim/Vendor Worksheet form to the Solicitor’s Office for collection. This relieves you of the burden of the traditional collection and prosecution process.

· The Solicitor’s Worthless Check Unit will contact the check writer, collect and disburse restitution to the victim. If restitution is not made pursuant to the requirements of the program, the check writer will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

 

CAUTION:  Once you submit a worthless check to the Worthless Check Unit, DO NOT ACCEPT PAYMENT IN ANY FORM FROM THE CHECK WRITER. This may void collection through the Worthless Check Unit after submission of a check.

 

 

Mentors are volunteers from the community. Each mentor is trained by the State Attorney General’s Office and is responsible for mentoring, tutoring, and recommending the youth for substance abuse and crisis counseling if necessary. No more than two children will be assigned to each mentor.

 

Requirements:The Youth Mentoring Program links the offending juvenile to a Church or Community organization. An individual assigned to the youth monitors the personal and academic development of the juvenile for six months to one year.

 

Candidates for the Youth Mentoring program are recommended by the Family Court Judges, Solicitors and program coordinators. Tenure in the program is based upon the severity of the crime. Local religious institutions, and community organizations provide mentors.

 

As part of the program, the youth must:

 

1. Attend School: No unexcused absences, multiple suspensions, or expulsions are allowed. The youth must maintain a “C’ average.

2. Attend Church: Weekly attendance at a faith institution of the youth’s choice is required.

3. Attend Mentoring Meetings: Weekly meetings with youth mentor groups are mandatory.

4. Community Service-Employment: The youth must complete 10 hours of community service or work at a part time job.

5. Curfew: Each youth must follow a curfew  determined by his/her mentor in consultation with the program coordinators.

6. Home Behavior: The youth must obey and respect his/her parent(s) or guardian(s).  

Citizen Volunteers are the heart of this program

 

The department of Juvenile Justice makes a recommendation to arbitrate cases involving juveniles that have no prior record and have been charged with a non-violent crime.

 

 The Solicitor’s Office reviews the nature of the charges and determines if the case qualifies for the program. Once a case is accepted, all parties involved are contacted and an Arbitrator is assigned to the case. A hearing date is usually set within three weeks. 

 

The hearing is conducted by a trained Arbitrator who will:

· Determine the facts of the case

· Assist the participants of the hearing to negotiate an agreement of sanctions to be met in order for the juvenile offender to complete restoration and clear his or her record.

· Monitor the juvenile’s progress toward completing assigned sanctions.

 

Examples of Sanctions that may be imposed:

· Restitution for damages up to $500.00

· Donations to charitable organizations

· Education classes, assignments, or research

· Attendance at self-help groups or awareness programs

· Referrals to social service agencies for evaluations

· Jail Tours

· Community Service

 

 

The Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office is the first in the state to introduce Equine Assisted Therapy into abuse and dependency programs, as well as Domestic Violence Court.

 

The EAP program design is sponsored by EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association).   EAGALA has trained over 3,000 professionals since the founding of the organization in 1999.

 

The EAGALA method has proven successful and is rewarding to the facilitators as well as the participants.

 

There is no horseback riding or mounted work involved in EAP.  It only involves ground work with the horses which reduces risk factors of personal harm or injury.

 

The focus of EAP is not on how to ride a horse or learning general horse skills.  It is about learning people skills and the horse is part of the teaching team.     

Youth Arts

meeting goals through the Big C’s of Arts

· Communication & Cooperation Respecting Authority begins with self respect. Youth Arts teaches self respect and respect for others through communication and cooperation.

· Concentration School attendance is increased when school becomes interesting. Youth Arts teaches the value of all knowledge and how to apply it to art and expression.

· Competition Peer relationships are attained through common goals and cooperative competition and commitment; and by learning the difference between competition and conflict.

· Youth Arts awakens Creativity, opening youth to amazing unknown possibilities.

· Caring & Character Youth Arts helps youth manage anger by introducing problem solving solutions and alternatives through caring, and through understanding individual character and characteristics in others. 

· Choice Youth Arts assists students to improve decision making by offering innovative and positive options to risky behavior.

· Commitment Youth Arts sets a method and pattern for following instructions by allowing youth to be part of the process. Students do not always learn from instructors. Sometimes it is the other way around. The student becomes the teacher. 

· Continuation & Completion Allowing youth artistic expression and learned discipline in the arts reduces repeated offenses by providing options and rewards for good behavior.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

1. Must be 17 to 21 years old

2. There is no evidence of prior arrests

3. Must be either in school, disabled or employed in come capacity

4. Likely to respond quickly to alcohol & drug education

5. Placement in the program will serve justice to the offender & to the state.

6. The offender is unlikely to be involved in further criminal activity

7. The individual poses no detectable threat to society

Anyone charged with the following offenses:

· Minor in Possession of Alcohol (Beer, Wine, or Liquor)

· OPEN Container

· Fake ID

· Transfer of beer to a minor

· Other Alcohol Offenses

· No Driving Alcohol Offenses are eligible

 

PARTICIPANTS OF THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN PTI & THEREFORE NOT LOSING THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR PTI.

 

Community involvement is necessary if we are to effectively punish  wrongdoers, heal victims of crime, reduce crime, address neighborhood problems and work to prevent young people from becoming criminals.

 

Your personal involvement will make this new concept of  “restorative justice” work in our Community. How can we do less for those who are  victims or  those who will become victims in the future?  And what better guidance can we give to our young people than to keep them from entering the criminal lifestyle?

 

Operation Community Justice works to:

¨ Change the behavior of offenders

¨ Prevent future OFfending

¨ MAKE NEIGHBORHOODS SAFER

¨ INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT COMMUNITY  FORUMS

¨  ESTABLISH COMMUNITY SERVICE SITES

¨ BUILD MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

 

 

Funded strictly though charitable donations, this program offers a one-week intensive therapy camp at Cheraw State Park. The next step for these juvenile offenders would be incarceration. The camps have an 87 percent success rate of juveniles who never return to the justice system. Many citizens, churches, and civic organizations come together to make camp successful. We rely on companies to donate food, condiments, water, toiletries, canned drinks, and cleaning supplies. We also need volunteers, guest speakers, churches and/or organizations to prepare meals, ministers to do Vespers, and monetary contributions.  The Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office & Chesterfield Sheriff’s Department sponsor a golf tournament each year to help defray costs for the camp. Solicitor Jay Hodge is working toward year around weekend camps.