CONECUH, MONROE CONSIDER PRISON DIVERSION

Plan Aims To Ease Overcrowding By Finding Alternatives For Nonviolent
First Offenders

MONROEVILLE -- Officials said they hope to ease prison overcrowding and
rehabilitate first-time nonviolent offenders in Conecuh and Monroe counties
using a proposed pretrial diversion program that was announced Monday.

District Attorney Tommy Chapman said he had been researching similar
programs in other Alabama counties for a few years, and the current prison
overcrowding spurred him to act.

Alabama Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Corbett said Tuesday that
state prisons had 26,989 inmates in January, the most recent count
available. The prisons were designed to house 12,388.

Corbett said the count dropped by 1,350 inmates over last year but not
because of less crime. Rather, he said, the drop came from more community
corrections programs. Programs like the one proposed in the judicial
district that covers Conecuh and Monroe counties are beginning to help, he
said.

"This program is for offenders as young as 18 or 16 with driving offenses
and other offenses," Chapman said. "This will give them a chance to turn
their lives around, and they pay for participation in the program."

Among the offenses that are covered by the proposed program are attempting
to elude or reckless driving -- crimes that could end in jail time --
traffic violations other than driving under the influence, property crimes,
drug possession, misdemeanors, an offense wherein the victim was not
seriously physically injured, or was not a child under 14, a law
enforcement officer, school official or correctional officer. Offenses that
would not be eligible are drug trafficking or distribution, child or
elderly abuse, sex crimes, class A felonies or any crime involving a death.

Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, said he would sponsor the bill in the
Legislature.

"Many district attorneys just focus on locking up criminals, but here Mr.
Chapman is offering a second chance," Jackson said, "a chance that also
makes young people accountable. It's a chance to right a wrong, to go on to
a productive life."

Under the program, offenders with underlying drug or alcohol problems will
get treatment at their own expense and will be supervised for up to two
years. But the program is not limited to those with addictions.

"It could be anger management or other problems," Chapman said, "but
research has shown (that) up to 90 percent of crimes are drug or alcohol
related."

According to the proposed bill, offenders pay up to $750 when charged with
a felony and $500 when charged with a misdemeanor to participate in the
diversion. If they satisfy requirements such as furthering education,
literacy training, no alcohol or drug use, maintaining employment and
others, in two years, they leave the program with no criminal record.

To pay for managing the program, the circuit clerk and the district
attorney get to keep a portion of the participants' fees designated for
specific uses.

Jackson said the bill could be introduced in the coming weeks and will be
implemented upon its passage by the Legislature.