Established in 1997, Charlottesville-Albemarle Recovery Court is the second longest running Recovery Court in Virginia.  The program is aimed at individuals presently charged with felony offenses who also have a substance use disorder.  The typical participant will have a significant criminal history driven by their substance use dependency.  The goal of the program is to help participants learn to live a sober, law abiding life and avoid the cycle of incarceration and substance abuse.  To achieve this goal, programming includes random drug testing, individual and group therapy, community support group attendance, criminal thinking interventions, and frequent judicial interaction.  In addition to new skills and sobriety, successful graduates will be rewarded with a dismissal of charges, reduction of charges, or reduction of sentence, as stipulated in a participant plea agreement signed upon entry into the program.  Graduates exit with the opportunity to continue living the prosocial lives that they’ve experienced while in the program. Recovery Court serves the dual purpose of rehabilitation and public safety by restoring community members.