YOUTH DRUG COURT COULD GET FUNDING

Mike McPhail has the training, but it's the money that's slowing down
his efforts to start a juvenile drug court operation in Forrest County.

"I need the people before I can start because the hallmark of a drug
court operation is intensive supervision," McPhail said. "But to get
the people I need the funding."

Funding a youth court operation is costly.

In Adams County the cost to provide for 30 participants in the state's
only youth court drug court is $150,000 a year.

But money may no longer be an issue after the Legislature in the last
session set up a fee system that could generate $5 million annually
for drug court operations.

McPhail was one of 10 people selected to participate in a drug court
planning initiative through the U.S. Justice Depart-ment and the
National Council of Juvenile and Family Courts.

Statewide there are 12 drug courts in operation, 10 adult courts
including Forrest-Perry Judge Bob Helfrich's court, and two youth
court operations in Adams and Madison counties.

Helfrich, who started his drug court last fall, has more than 40
participants. He obtained a grant from the Asbury Foundation to fund
three years of he court. So far, only three people have been dropped
from his program.

Adams Youth Court Judge John Hudson's drug court has been operating
since 2002, funded with state and federal grants.

Hudson said the drug court operation is one of the most successful
programs he's seen.

"It requires judges to put in a lot of extra time because you work
individually with those selected for the program, but seeing lives
changing in front of you, something a judge seldom has the opportunity
to witness, is payment enough," Hudson said.

Hudson said he's lost no more than three or four participants since
beginning the program two years ago.

"It's nice to be proactive, to be an instrument of change in the lives
of these kids," Hudson said. "In some cases, everyone had given up on
them."

Hudson said he's not surprised with McPhail's involvement in the drug
court movement.

"He's been a leader and an innovator in the juvenile justice system
since he's been on the bench," Hudson said.

McPhail said his court handles 600 to 750 youthful offenders and
youths in need of supervision annually and in 20 years on the bench
he's lost personnel instead of adding them. McPhail works with two
full-time counselors workers and one part-time.

Forrest County Court Youth Court prosecutor Pam Castle, who will be
part of the youth drug court team, said the program provides something
that's not now available to youths in the county.

"Although we have programs that kids can go to, once they are sent
they are out of the court's jurisdiction. Unless they violate their
probation, we don't see them again," Castle said. "With this program,
there will be a team constantly monitoring their progress."

Funding for drug court operations will be handled through the
Administrative Office of Courts, but before drug courts can be funded
they have to meet some general criteria that's being adopted now, said
Beverly Pettigrew Kraft, public information officer for courts.

"There will be key ingredients outlined for each operation - but with
enough room for each court to tailor their own operation," she said.
"What it does is provide a uniformity in all drug court operations."

Among common rules will be the requirement to provide intensive
testing for participants as well as the judge's hands on supervision,
she said.