We are very lucky in this episode to welcome back Mayo Wilson who was a guest on an  earlier episode of the show.  He is an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Office.  He is joined by Lula Kelly, who is the Diversion Program Manager for OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives, & Resources).  In Fairfax, OAR provides diversion programs, services for those incarcerated, post-release services, and family services.  OAR also services Loudoun County and Prince William County.    https://oarnova.org/

In this episode Lula explains what OAR does and also shares with us what Taking Root is in Fairfax County. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/commonwealthattorney/taking-root
This is for non-violent offenses and to be eligible the person must have an underlying issue that has led to their criminal involvement.  If accepted into this program, the person will receive a plan that focuses on their individual needs and treatment.  If they are successful in satisfying the conditions put in place then they often may have their charge dismissed at the end of the case.

Mayo shares how the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney handles those applying to this program and ideally how things could play out if their office agrees to allow someone this opportunity to take root and start again.


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