FORREST CO. GETS YOUTH DRUG COURT

Young drug offenders will have new resources to overcome abuse
problems and avoid further contact with the justice system with the
advent of a Forrest County Youth Drug Court.

Youth Court Judge Michael McPhail on Tuesday told the Forrest County
Board of Supervisors the court received a $300,000 grant from
Hattiesburg's Asbury Foundation. The grant, distributed over two
years, will provide seed money for the juvenile drug court that is
expected to open Jan. 1.

"We try to keep children from further penetrating the justice
system," McPhail said. "This will help give them resources to stem
alcohol and drug abuse."

The Forrest County Youth Drug Court would join only a handful of such
programs in the state. Judges supervising the programs have touted
their success in keeping young offenders from embarking on the path
to long-term criminal activity, said State Drug Court Coordinator Joey Craft.

"We're hearing you get the most bang for the buck when you're dealing
with juveniles," Craft said. "Better to deal with them when they're
abusers rather than addicts."

Youth Drug Courts are operating in Adams, Madison and DeSoto
counties, and others are planned for Rankin, Leflore and Pike
counties, Craft said.

Young offenders with substance abuse problems currently face
probation and periodic drug tests, Youth Court prosecutor Pamela
Castle said. But the Youth Drug Court will provide more intensive
supervision and treatment.

"A child on probation is monitored, but this will increase that
monitoring and step up (an offender's) accountability before the
bench," she said.

McPhail and Castle said they hope the Youth Drug Court will start
with a case capacity of about 40 participants, and could eventually
grow to as many as 100. The Asbury Foundation grant allows the court
to hire a coordinator, after which state funds can be sought as the
program grows.

Youth Drug Court is designed to encourage family involvement in
children's lives and offer troubled kids opportunities for positive
reinforcement when they make progress while enforcing sanctions for
their setbacks.

"Unlike the adult system, a lot of kids find themselves in certain
situations because their parents need assistance," Castle said.
Counselors and court personnel will be able to provide adult family
members with tools and advice to better supervise and discipline
their children.

Participants are expected to receive individual, group and family
counseling and small incentives like movie tickets, snacks and family
portraits for staying clean.

"You have to reward them and acknowledge their progress," McPhail
said. "With kids, the spotlight effect is a big thing - they want to
be recognized and to stand out, and it may be that so far they have
stood out for all the wrong reasons."

Among the Youth Drug Court's most important contributions could be
its impact on petty crimes committed by young people in search of
drug money, McPhail said.

"With these juveniles committing house burglaries, they're not trying
to be violent - they may just be trying to get the penny jar in your
house to get money to buy more drugs," he said.

McPhail said he does not like to think of Youth Drug Court as
furnishing "second chances."

"I call this a court of opportunity," McPhail said.

"A lot of these kids are tired of the way they feel, tired of being
on the lowest rungs. Some of them are just saying, 'Look at me, pay
attention to me, ask me questions and show concern about my life.'"