The counties of Essex, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond and Westmoreland established an Adult Drug Treatment Court Program in March 2017 to serve the Northern Neck and Essex.
“Faced with the drug epidemic, overdoses climbing across America and recognition that the majority of criminal offenses are driven by substance abuse, it became evident that there was a lack of intensive substance abuse treatment resources in our rural communities,” said Lancaster County assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kenneth M. Kunkle.
On February 21, 2019, the Northern Neck and Essex Adult Drug Treatment Court (ADTC) became one of approximately 3,316 treatment courts currently in operation, said Kunkle. Per the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), Drug Court is the most successful criminal justice intervention for addicted offenders—proven to save lives, money and reduce crime…
