MADISON COUNTY STARTS FAMILY DRUG COURT

Program First In State; Goal Is To Keep Parents, Children Together

Drug abuse in Huntsville and Madison County is destroying families at such
an alarming rate that the courts and several agencies have stepped in to
help, according to District Judge Martha Lynn Sherrod.

To try to deal with the problem, Sherrod and nine members of a court
formation committee will meet Tuesday to complete preparations for
Alabama's first family drug court. Its first session will be April 30.

''Our goal is to keep families together and to reduce the number of
children in foster care by 48 this year,'' Sherrod said. ''Even one child
in foster care is too many.''

In December, 143 children in Madison County were receiving aid for foster
care through the Alabama Department of Human Resources, according to the
agency's statistics. That was an increase from 136 children at the end of 2000.

Madison County in December ranked third behind Mobile County, which had 192
children in foster care, and Jefferson County with 286.

When families break up because of drug addiction, the children go to live
with family members, foster parents or in group homes. Foster care is
expensive, Sherrod said.

''When we remove them from the care of their natural parents, then we
become responsible for them,'' she said. ''That responsibility includes
money and care for their physical needs.''

Family drug court will not impose criminal penalties for drug use. Instead,
it will refer parents to treatment, work and education programs.

When a DHR social worker finds a drug problem in a family, the case will be
referred to the court. The court will decide what the treatment should be.

''We are going to assist with whatever it takes,'' Sherrod said. ''Our goal
is to help them reunite with their children, but they have to provide a
drug-free environment.''

Plan will refer drug users to treatment, work, education programs Starts
Continued from page B1 Family drug court will convene every week and
participants will be required to attend each session until graduation. The
program has no set length.

The proceedings will be closed to the public to keep children's identities
secret.

Members of the family court formation committee include Sherrod; Jackie
Wolfe, director of alternative sentencing programs for the Madison County
courts; Kim Thurston, a county probation officer; Ray Swaim, superintendent
of county schools; Yvette Kubic, Madison County court administrator; Robin
Clem, a local lawyer; Assistant District Attorney Don Rizzardi; Charlotte
Camper, Madison County's chief juvenile probation officer; and Tenita
Phelps and Stephanie Bell, both of DHR.