Latest news with #MentalHealthCourtProgram
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Las Vegas court program built around treatment, not incarceration
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a quiet courtroom tucked inside the Las Vegas Justice Court, lives are being rebuilt — not punished. Instead of jail time, individuals struggling with untreated mental illness or addiction are being offered a new path: one filled with counseling, care, and a shot at redemption. For Judge Eric Goodman, this mission is more than professional — it's personal. 'When I was 19, I lost a good friend of mine to suicide,' Goodman said. 'Over the years, I've lost a number of friends to suicide or drug addiction. Every time that happened, I just wished I had done something.' Now, from the bench, he's doing something big. Just months after taking the gavel in 2009, Goodman noticed a troubling pattern: the same people appearing in his courtroom again and again — many of them homeless, addicted, and living with serious mental illness. Jail, he realized, was not the answer. In February 2023, Goodman partnered with fellow Justice Court Judge Nadia Wood to launch the Las Vegas Municipal Court Mental Health Court Program. Their goal: address the root causes of crime through treatment, not incarceration. 'Sometimes 30 to 40 percent of our jail population is on medication for mental health conditions,' Wood explained. 'The system wasn't built to treat them. This program is.' The program is open to people over 18 with a serious mental health illness and a misdemeanor. Participants must voluntarily commit to a rigorous program involving therapy, case management, medication stabilization, substance abuse treatment, and housing support. So far, 11 participants have completed the program. Many are now off the streets, sober, and in stable housing for the first time in years. But the impact goes beyond the individuals. 'It costs over $100,000 a year to keep someone in jail,' Wood said. 'With our program, it costs between $12,000 to $14,000 a year to have these individuals housed, fed, taken care of, receiving treatment, (and) receiving medication.' For Goodman, graduation days are emotional. 'When I see them graduate and move on with their lives and be successful, it really touches me because I'll always think back to my friend who gave up early in life,' Goodman said. 'That was the end of his life, now these people are changing their lives, and they have a chance for a future.' Goodman and Wood said the program not only saves lives — it makes the community safer. They hope to expand the program in the coming years, reaching more individuals in need — and continuing to shift the justice system from punishment to possibility. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Political Notes: State's Attorney Charlie Smith, local state delegates file for reelection
Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith, a Republican who took office in 2007, will seek a sixth term in 2026. If he is reelected, Smith would be on track to tie Robert Salter Rothenhoefer as the county's longest-serving State's Attorney. Rothenhoefer, a Democrat, held the office for 23 years — from 1959 to 1982, according to the Maryland Manual. In a phone interview on Monday, Smith said that unlike other positions in government, he views the state's attorney as a career position. 'It's something I still have a passion for, and something I want to continue to do is make Frederick County a safer place to live and work,' Smith said. Smith filed as a candidate for reelection on March 13, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. He said he told his staff about his reelection bid at a meeting that same month. 'My staff is always on edge every time four years comes around,' Smith said. 'So I like to let them know that I really would like to continue to lead them and lead this office for at least another term.' In recent years, Smith said some of his office's biggest accomplishments have been the establishment of the Mental Health Court Program in 2019 and the formation of the INTERCEPT Task Force in 2023 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. He said both of these efforts would remain a priority of his in a sixth term. Smith also said his office would continue to push for better public safety legislation at the state level if he is reelected. As of Monday, no one else had filed as a candidate for Frederick County State's Attorney in 2026. The deadline to file is Feb. 24, 2026, at 9 p.m. District 3 candidates Three state delegates representing District 3 in Frederick County filed on Monday to run for reelection in 2026. State Dels. Kris Fair, Ken Kerr and Karen Simpson — all Democrats — announced their filings in a joint press release on Monday, the last day of the 2025 Maryland General Assembly session. Both Fair and Simpson took office in 2023 and are seeking a second term. 'I could not be prouder to file today with my colleagues as we continue to produce the much-needed resources for our community, the fastest-growing county and city in Maryland,' Fair said in the release. 'We work well as a team,' Simpson said in the release. 'We look forward to continuing to serve Frederick.' Kerr, who took office in 2019, is seeking a third term. 'Delegates Fair and Simpson are effective legislators who take on complex bills and work them skillfully through the legislative process,' Kerr said in the release. 'I am proud to serve with them and stand with them for re-election.' Other legislative districts As of Monday, no one else had filed as a candidate for state delegate or state senator in District 3 or District 4, which is also in Frederick County. In District 2A, which includes parts of Frederick and Washington counties, Republicans William Wivell and William Valentine have also filed for reelection. Wivell took office in 2015, while Valentine took office in 2023. In District 5, which includes parts of Frederick and Carroll counties, two Republican candidates have filed to run for state delegate in 2026 — Sallie Taylor and Steve Whisler. Taylor previously ran for state delegate in the district in 2022, but lost in the Republican primary. Whisler currently is the vice president of the Carroll County Board of Education. His term in that role will expire in December 2026, according to the board website.
