Good job!
This week, Fayette County residents got a view of the criminal justice system they won’t get from “Law & Order.”
Experts at Tuesday’s “CSI: Fayette County — Crime Subjects Investigated” forum discussed the county’s treatment court system and how having a treatment option for people in the court system who are dealing with mental health issues can help cut down on repeat offenses and keep non-violent offenders out of overcrowded prisons.
The Tuesday event was the latest in the series sponsored by HeraldStandard.com in conjunction with Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus and focused on Fayette County’s Treatment Court program, which is designed for criminal defendants with mental illnesses and is run through the Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration and various members of the court system.
The series of public forums explores different issues associated with courts and crime in the county. Last year, HeraldStandard.com and Penn State Fayette partnered with police and law enforcement officials from across the county to host six public workshops titled “CSI: Fayette County — Crime Subjects Investigated.” Previous forums have explored topics like regional police, juries, drugs and juvenile crime.
The forum was very illuminating and we were impressed by the breadth and depth of the speakers, which included Clinton Anderson, a mental health program manager for the Fayette County Behavioral Health Administration, Seth Vargo, supervisor of the forensic and diversion re-entry program for Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Human Service; Leroy Townsend, pre-trial services officer for the Fayette County Adult Probation Office, Jacquie Fritts, executive director of the Crime Victims’ Center of Fayette County, attorney Jeremy Davis, Fayette County District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr., state police Lt. David Heckman, and Dr. Richard Ball, a professor in Penn State’s administration of justice program.
We want to thank the panel members for taking the time to explain the treatment court in a way that gave the audience a better understanding of just what role it serves in the criminal justice system.
Anderson, who deserved a lot of credit for spearheading the program, said people who go through treatment court receive therapy and that their progress is closely monitored. If the defendants don’t go along with the treatment, he noted, they’re tossed out of the program.
The initiative behind the treatment court program is just what we need more of — people who see a need and put in the work to make it happen. This is by no means a get-out-of-jail-free card, or a slap on the wrist. Instead, it is a program designed to deal with those with mental illness who commit a crime in an effort to prevent a recurrence.
In the long run, programs like this will save the taxpayers a substantial sum of money. If you can keep inmates with mental illness from recidivism — of returning to crime after being incarcerated — you cut down on prison overcrowding and the costs associated with that.
It’s encouraging, as well, to see the amount of cooperation behind the program, which requires buy in from several levels of the criminal justice system, including Fayette County’s Senior Judge Conrad Capuzzi and Fayette County’s President Judge Gerald Solomon. Without their crucial support, the program simply wouldn’t exist.
In the end, instead of being behind the curve, Fayette County finds itself in the forefront of a national trend. For that, all the officials involved in this crucial program should be applauded. By working together, they’re making things better for the residents of Fayette County.
If you weren’t able to attend on Tuesday, we strongly suggest you don’t miss out on the educational experience. The entire forum can be viewed by going to the HeraldStandard.com website.