Retired judge pitches 100‑bed South Central Virginia recovery center, seeks Appomattox commitment
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Summary
Retired Judge Cunningham described a proposal for a 100‑bed South Central Virginia Residential Recovery Center, said it would pair housing with a recovery court, estimated a $30 million capital need and asked Appomattox and neighboring counties to commit support.
Retired Judge Cunningham urged the Appomattox County Board of Supervisors to join other South Central Virginia localities in supporting a proposed 100‑bed residential recovery center that he said would be paired with an evidence‑based recovery court.
Cunningham said the project — the South Central Virginia Residential Recovery Center — would include about 50 beds for women and 50 for men, on‑campus step‑up apartments and a workforce development building. He described the center as peer‑led, with around‑the-clock counseling and psychiatric services and job training on site.
"We are building a residential recovery center to serve South Central Virginia," Cunningham said. He described an existing recovery‑court model he started in 2015 and said that, in that program, "60 percent of our people are successful in getting to recovery." He told the board the full campus concept would require roughly $30,000,000 in capital and that outside funders expect evidence of multi‑county commitments before awarding the money.
Cunningham presented projected benefits beyond individual recovery, including reduced incarceration and improved employment prospects, and cited examples from other states where residential housing plus court oversight produced higher sustained recovery. He also said the campaign team would market naming opportunities and beds to help raise capital.
Board members asked whether judges would refer or sentence people to the center; Cunningham said he had discussed the idea with judges across the 10th Judicial Circuit and that the Department of Corrections had already indicated it would request placement capacity (he said DOC had asked for 30‑day placements). On fundraising, he said a campaign organization is in place and that some counties have already committed to participate.
The judge asked Appomattox to consider a supportive commitment so the regional campaign could demonstrate cross‑jurisdiction backing to prospective funders. No formal county commitment or funding pledge was made during the meeting.
Next steps: Cunningham invited follow‑up conversations with county staff and board members and offered to provide supporting documentation and program outcomes to board staff and supervisors for further review.
