The Pretrial Services Program is for adults with substance use or mental health treatment needs who are going through the court process and awaiting final case resolution. The service may be ordered by the court or through self-referral, but is completely voluntary. A person’s refusal to engage cannot result in a new charge or in a violation of conditions of release.
The Pretrial Services Program offers two tiers of support for individuals charged with a crime in Vermont:
Screenings – Pretrial staff provide voluntary screenings to individuals cited or arrested for certain offenses. The Risk Assessment screening asks about criminal history, and the Needs Assessment screening asks about mental health and substance use. Assessment results are shared with the prosecutor and cannot be used against a defendant to prove guilt. The objective of these screenings is to obtain a preliminary indication of whether a person has a substance use or mental health issue that warrants a clinical assessment.
Services– Once screened, participants are referred to substance use, mental health, and other supportive community-based services while they are going through the court process and awaiting final case resolution. Pretrial Service staff can also refer participants to the Tamarack Program.
Staff can only report the risk of non-appearance, if treatment is indicated, if the individual participated in a clinical assessment and if engagement with pretrial services is recommended. No other information may be shared.
For more information about this program, please contact:
Mohamed Jafar, Pretrial and Tamarack Service Coordinator
802-735-8272; mjafar@burlingtonvt.gov
Katherine Doyle, Pretrial and Tamarack Service Coordinator
802-735-8274; kdoyle@burlingtonvt.gov
