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Adult Enhancement Services Division (AES)
AES serves adults involved in the criminal justice system, both pre- and post-adjudication via the Courts, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department, NC Child Support Services, and the community.
Community Empowerment Court (CEC) is a mental health court program for justice-involved individuals with a diagnosed / identified mental illness contributing to their contact with the criminal justice system.
Benefits may include
- Comprehensive substance abuse and/or mental health treatment
- Education/vocational programs
- Community resource referrals for housing, childcare, and transportation
Eligibility
- Resident of New Hanover County
- Diagnosed/identified mental illness
- No Level A1, Level 1 or Level 2 DWI
- No previous sex offense
- Misdemeanor assaults and violent felony / weapons convictions will be considered on a case-by-case basis
Resources
Community Recovery Court (CRC) provides programs that identify and treat offenders whose criminal activities are related to substance and alcohol abuse.
Services seek to
- Reduce judicial, health systems, community costs and recidivism associated with continued drug use and ongoing involvement in the criminal justice system.
Goals
- To reduce alcoholism and other drug dependencies among adult offenders.
- To reduce criminal recidivism and the incidence of child abuse and neglect.
- To reduce alcohol and other drug-related court services.
- To increase personal, family and community accountability of adult offenders.
- To promote effective use of resources among criminal justice personnel, community agencies, and child protective services.
Eligible offenders are those New Hanover County residents with no prior violent or weapons convictions and no convictions for selling, delivering, manufacturing or trafficking drugs.
Resources
Misdemeanor Diversion Program (MDP) is aimed at redirecting eligible 18 and 19-year-olds from the adult criminal justice system.
It allows first-time, non-violent offenders the opportunity to avoid formal charges by completing a 90-day program tailored specifically to their alleged offenses.
Our goal is to reduce the direct and indirect negative consequences of poor decisions made by youthful offenders.
Eligibility
- 18 or 19 years old at the time of the offense
- First-time non-violent misdemeanor offender (with the exception of firearms offenses, sex offenses, and traffic matters)
- The responding law enforcement officer makes the referral
Resources
Pretrial Release Services (PRS) provides information that judicial officials are required by statute to consider in making release/detention decisions.
PRS monitors and supervises released defendants to minimize the risk of nonappearance at court proceedings and the risks to the safety of the community and individual persons.
PRS contributes to the fair and efficient use of detention facilities and the fiscal responsibility of taxpayer dollars.
Primary Functions
- Collection, investigation, and verification of demographic information and criminal history.
- Assessment of risk to develop strategies that can be used for the supervision of released defendants based on risk score, needs, and special conditions.
- Attendance at all first appearance proceedings to provide judicial officials with background information and to make recommendations concerning release options or conditions in individual cases.
- Immediate report of violations to the court, allowing for swift response from the judiciary.
Resources
- Adult Community Service Office Phone: 910-772-6791
- NC Department of Public Safety
- Legal Aid of NC
- NC RHA Health Services
- NC RHA Mobile Crisis Management
Veterans Treatment Court provides a means to divert eligible veteran participants from the traditional criminal justice system.
Provides
- Support and rehabilitation through comprehensive substance abuse and/or mental health treatment
- Education/vocational programs
- Community resource referrals for housing, childcare, and transportation
The target population includes military veterans who have been charged with a non-violent felony or misdemeanor criminal offense and who are identified with substance dependency and/or serious mental health issues.