Pubdate: Sun, 10 Feb 2002
Source: Laurel Leader-Call (MS)
Copyright: 2002 Laurel Leader-Call
Contact:  http://www.leadercall.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1662
Author: Brian Livingston, Staff Reporter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

PRETRIAL DIVERSION UNIT A SUCCESS FOR DA'S OFFICE

Freddie Reeves, as head of the Pretrial Diversion Unit of the Jones County 
District Attorney's Office, wears two hats. Reeves acts as both an 
investigator and probation officer.

The defendants who qualify for the diversion program have to report 
directly to Reeves each month in order to pay restitution to victims, fines 
and administrative fees and are subject to random drug and alcohol testing.

All drug testing is now conducted by Reeves at the DA's office rather than 
having to farm that function out to a local lab. By doing so, the cost of 
such testing has been reduced from $45 to $10 per test. The lowered expense 
of the tests are passed on to the defendant.

"We now have 87 active participants in the diversion program," said Reeves.

"Through collection of administrative fees this unit has become completely 
self sufficient, even to the point my entire salary is now paid from fees 
generated by this program."

Every participant also has to perform a minimum of 300 hours community 
service. That results in more than 17,000 hours of essentially free labor 
for Jones County per year.

For the year 2001, Reeves collected total fines, fees and restitution in 
the amount of $100,573 as compared to $52,089 in 1999.

"Just the numbers themselves pretty much tell the story," Jones County 
District Attorney Grant Hedgepeth said. "Coupled with doing the testing 
ourselves and saving that expense and Freddie doing the kind of job he's 
doing, is evidence enough this unit is working very well in serving the 
victims of crime."
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MAP posted-by: Jackl