Smyth County officials announce alternative sentencing program

Smyth County officials have announced an alternative sentencing program designed to address criminal behavior directly connected to serious mental illness. The Behavioral Health Docket is a collaborative between multiple agencies and the courts. Participants in the program will undergo 9-12 months of intensive supervision and treatment. Successful completion will result in no active incarceration, failure to comply with program requirements will result in traditional sentencing. Participants will be held to strict standards of supervision, treatment compliance, and accountability. The program is accepting referrals from defense attorneys, probation officers and law enforcement, and has received approval from the Supreme Court of Virginia, to operate within the General District Court.