Pubdate: Tue, 02 Mar 2004
Source: Mississippi Press, The (MS)
Copyright: 2004 Mississippi Press
Contact:  http://www.gulflive.com/mississippi/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2254
Author: JOHN SURRATT

DRUG COURT DONATIONS TOP $40,000

PASCAGOULA -- Private contributions to Jackson County's drug court program 
now total $40,800, Supervisor Frank Leach said Monday.

"That means there are a lot of people interested in this," he said.

The revelation about the contributions came during a board discussion about 
the salary of Joanne Byrd, the program coordinator for the George-/Greene 
County Drug Court, who will have the same job here.

Her $54,000 salary, county officials said, will be split between Jackson, 
George and Greene counties.

The supervisors have pledged up to $50,000 to find the drug court for the 
remainder of the 2004 fiscal year, and the program's estimated $67,843 
operating budget for the remaining five months of the fiscal year will be 
split between public and private funds.

State law allows private contributions for the court program.

The supervisors said they expect to have a final budget for the remainder 
of the year in the next few weeks.

"This was one of our goals, to fund this project without putting it all on 
the backs of the taxpayers," Leach said.

Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson began the drug court program in George and 
Greene counties in 2002.

The court is designed to address substance abuse problems that cause people 
to commit crimes by treating the addiction to curb criminal behavior. 
People admitted to the program have either been indicted by a grand jury or 
been arrested on a felony drug charge and referred to the program by police.

Offenders who have committed violent crimes, have been charged with selling 
drugs or residential burglaries are ineligible. 
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MAP posted-by: Perry Stripling