MADISON DRUG COURT TO FOCUS ON TEEN USERS

Sarah Beard thought she had a pretty good idea about the extent of drug use
among teens when she became director last year of Madison County's
Adolescent Offender Program.

She was wrong.

"I really was not aware of how serious the drug problem is. I think most
people would be very surprised ... it's unbelievable," Beard said.

That's why she, Madison County Youth Court Judge William Agin and the
Madison County Coalition on Children and Youth have banded to start the
county's first Juvenile Drug Court - the second in the state behind Adams
County.

While on the surface 10 percent of the nearly 700 cases of juvenile crime
in Madison County in 2001 were drug and alcohol offenses, officials say
drugs play a major role in the commission of other crimes. Many
altercations at school stem from a youngster's being in a drug-induced
state and out of control, according to grant application records.

"Just looking in their eyes can certainly tell you they are using drugs and
their mood swings are comparable to bi-polar personalities ... it breaks my
heart," Beard said. "If we can abate the use of drugs, we can abate other
crimes committed by these youths."

The court is expected to start up by month's end. The program will cost
$62,700 annually, paid by a state grant and a 10 percent county match, Agin
said.

"We have completed the training and think we can put it together so it will
be meaningful, not just an expenditure of money," Agin said.

The numbers of teens who would go through the drug court the first year is
hard to determine, in part, because it is not yet known how much money will
be spent on drug testing, Beard said. But the program will be worth the
effort, Beard said.

"Drug courts are part of a national trend ... In the Midwest, there are
programs that have been up and running for a long time and they are
successful," Beard said.

Tricia Caldwell, director of the Hinds Adolescent Offender Program, will be
an evaluator.

"The intent is to help the program, but I also hope to learn some things
that might let us get something started in Hinds County ... It's a major
problem for our juveniles, many of whom are users or sellers," Caldwell said.

Offenders in Youth Court will be drug tested if drug use is suspected and
then ordered to the drug court. Referral to the court would be an
alternative to being sent to a detention facility or training school.

There are four phases of the one-year program:

Phase one: Complete drug screening, weekly random drug test, weekly
appearance in drug court, meet with counselor three times a week.

Phase two: Drug court appearance twice a month, random drug testing twice a
month, meet with counselor twice a week.

Phase three: Privileges restored, random drug testing. Any positive test
demotes youth to a lower phase.

Phase four: Graduation, follow-up counseling sessions. Allan Lawrence,
principal at Olde Towne Middle School and member of the coalition, said the
courts need to intervene before juvenile offenders "become a burden to
society."

"Anytime you can help somebody without incarceration and give them every
resource to be successful and drug free, we have done what we need to do,"
Lawrence said.

Canton resident Howard Gober said the program "seems like it's worth a
try," but he's concerned whether the long-term benefits are worth the cost.

"I support anything you can do to break a bad habit, even smoking and
drinking - and I've got plenty of friends that do that," Gober said.