Jefferson County’s Day Report Center Closing This June, Plans To Transfer Participants

Jefferson County’s day report center is slated to close this summer — a decision local officials say came as a shock.

West Virginians struggling with substance use issues who are convicted of certain crimes, mostly nonviolent offenses, can be assigned to day report centers by magistrate court judges instead of incarceration.

The nonresidential facilities require residents to participate in regular rehabilitation and transitional programming as a form of supervised release.

The Kearneysville-based Jefferson Day Report Center’s administrative board made the decision to close earlier this month, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Harvey told members of the Jefferson County Commission during their regular meeting March 20.

Harvey said the decision was sudden, and has left county officials struggling to ensure services remain accessible to active participants after the June 30 closure.

“It has been a scramble to make sure that the services are not interrupted for those who are currently in the court system,” Harvey said.

The Jefferson Day Report Center is a corporation that receives public funds but is functionally independent from the county government. Harvey said the center plays an important role in helping residents struggling with addiction access recovery resources.

In light of the closure, the commission voted to approve a plan that would transport Jefferson County participants to the Berkeley County Day Report Center in Martinsburg to continue services. The plan is scheduled for a final review from the Berkeley County Commission during its regular meeting Thursday, March 27.