Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 2002
Source: Sand Mountain Reporter, The (AL)
Copyright: 2002sSand Mountain Reporter.
Contact:  http://www.sandmountainreporter.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1713
Author: Shelley F. Smith

JUVENILE DRUG COURT HITS FUNDING CRISIS

A potential crisis for a relatively new county program could receive some 
financial relief, allowing the program to continue for another year.

The juvenile drug court program is about three years old and has had about 
250 juveniles to go through the program with about 150 successfully graduating.

Funding for the program, however, fell through, leaving the Marshall County 
Juvenile Probation Department looking for $76,000 to fund the program next 
year.

Juvenile Probation Supervisor Donna Johnson said the grant application was 
turned down by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, 
but the program is too vital a part of the juvenile justice system because 
her department as well as the local judges worked to find funding for the 
program.

District Court Judge Howard Hawk said the juvenile drug court is one 
alternative to sentencing juveniles that has benefited all involved. The 
court can order a juvenile to participate in the program, which has 
stringent requirements including six months of no drug use. If the 
requirements are not met, the juvenile is sentenced to a detention 
facility. If the juvenile successfully completes the program, he or she is 
given a second chance with the offense wiped from their record.

"Before this, judges' only recourse was to send the juveniles home to the 
same home environment or to send them to a detention center where they are 
learning to be good gang members from gang members who are there from 
larger cities," Hawk said.

Johnson and Hawk received support from the Marshall County Commission in 
keeping the program going. Hawk said he wanted the commission to be aware 
of the funding crisis prior to budget time, and the commission offered 
their support in trying to keep the program going.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens