Pubdate: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 Source: Laurel Leader-Call (MS) Copyright: 2002 Laurel Leader-Call Contact: http://www.leadercall.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1662 Author: Associated Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) CHIEF JUSTICE TO BUDGET WRITERS: DRUG COURTS HELP CUT COSTS JACKSON (AP) -- Mississippi could save money on prisons by increasing the number of drug courts that rely on treatment and rehabilitation, Supreme Court Chief Justice Edwin Pittman said Monday. "Every person they save in the drug court is a person you don't have to house and feed in the penitentiary," Pittman told members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. He was one of several agency directors who appeared before the committee Monday to make requests for the budget year that starts next July 1. Four circuit court districts now have drug courts. The first covered Lincoln, Pike and Walthall counties. Others came later in districts consisting of Hinds; Sunflower, Leflore and Washington; and George, Greene and Jackson counties. Pittman did not request a specific amount to expand drug courts to other counties, but said several parts of the state would be helped by them. He said he wants the Administrative Office of the Courts to hire a drug court coordinator to ease circuit judges' work loads. House Speaker Tim Ford, D-Baldwyn, praised Pittman for efficiently running the Supreme Court, even as the court struggles with staff shortages. Pittman thanked him but said, "We need a little more money this year to do the job you asked us to do." The Budget Committee is holding a condensed series of hearings this week to make up for time lost during a special session that started Sept. 5. Budget hearings normally are conducted throughout September, but Monday was only the third day of hearings this month. The 14-member committee hopes to wrap up presentations by the end of this week. The full, 174-member Legislature votes on the committee's spending recommendations during the three-month regular session that starts in January. Also Monday, state Department of Education officials told lawmakers that, barring any changes, public schools will end the current budget year June 30 with a $136 million shortfall. About $59 million of the shortfall came because legislators gave too little money to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, the basic formula for kindergarten through 12th grade offerings. Lawmakers also used $57 million in money that is available for one year only, and diverted $20 million from a school building fund into the Adequate Education Program. Judy Rhodes, director of accountability for the Department of Education, said the department is requesting an extra $255.5 million for the budget year that starts July 1. The Department of Corrections is also anticipating a shortfall for the current budget year. Acting Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps said the prison system will be $28.7 million short of what it needs. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager