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Local court services briefed council on pretrial, probation outcomes and plans for peer support
Summary
A representative of Old Dominion Court Services told Winchester’s public health and safety committee that pretrial interviews and risk assessments help maximize release while maintaining court appearance; she cited a 93% court‑appearance rate and described plans to add a peer recovery specialist and adopt a no‑interview risk tool.
A representative of Old Dominion Court Services briefed the Winchester City Public Health & Safety meeting on March 18 about pretrial services, misdemeanor probation and recent innovations to improve court appearance and reduce recidivism.
"Our function is court appearance, public safety, and then adherence to any other bail conditions that they may have," said Kim, the agency presenter. She said staff conduct jail interviews and risk assessments for newly arrested individuals so judicial officers have information at bail hearings intended to maximize safe release.
Kim said about 92% of newly arrested inmates meet with her staff before a bail hearing and that the court‑appearance rate for those placed on supervision is about 93%. "We really do try to maximize release, but also maximize court appearance and public safety," she said, adding that about 97% of defendants under supervision have not committed new offenses while supervised.
Kim described program components including short misdemeanor probation lengths (typically six to 12 months), deferred dispositions for certain felony cases accompanied by substance‑use treatment or community service, and a behavioral health specialty docket established with court and community partners to divert high‑need defendants into wraparound services.
She said the office is small (roughly 16 staff) and receives most funding from the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and some client fees. Kim said the agency plans to move to a new no‑interview risk assessment later in the year to capture defendants who previously could not be interviewed (those who were inebriated or refused) and that she has applied for a grant to embed a recovery peer specialist in the office to provide warm handoffs to treatment and reduce technical violations.
Council members asked how the office compares to others in Virginia; Kim said her office’s interview and success rates compare favorably to many peer agencies, but she cautioned that statewide shortages of counselors and treatment capacity — and uncertainty over future Medicaid changes — present ongoing challenges.
The presentation did not result in action items or votes recorded during the meeting.
