DRUG COURT WORKING DESPITE BAD REPORT; ENOUGH CROOKS ALREADY IN ELECTIONS

We hope a negative report in Friday's Jackson Clarion-Ledger on the Hinds
County drug court isn't effectively used as an argument against drug courts
as Mississippi lawmakers and judicial officials consider expanding the
concept statewide.

We don't know what the problems are in Hinds County where, according to the
Jackson newspaper's headline, the "drug court program hits snags," but we
are convinced that the drug court initiated by Circuit Judge Keith Starrett
in Lincoln, Pike and Walthall counties is working and should be expanded to
other parts of the state.

In drug court, the judge has the discretion to put first-time, non-violent
offenders who are addicted to drugs or alcohol on probation provided they
follow a rigid set of guidelines including attending regular meetings,
undergoing tests to guarantee they are drug and alcohol free and meeting
other conditions. If they mess up, they are sent to prison.

One problem with the Hinds County program, according to the article, is
that no one has completed the program yet. The first three who entered it,
six months ago, have all washed out.

Well, that hasn't been the case in Judge Starrett's court, which began in
February 1999. Nine have graduated from the program and four others are
scheduled to graduate Monday. Of the first nine graduates, one relapsed and
is now in the penitentiary. But eight remain drug free and sober.

One defendant in Lincoln County disappeared while on the program.

Admittedly, there are failures. Starrett is counting on a success rate of
about 75 percent which is considerably better than the recidivism rate of
those sent to prison.

The cost of putting a person through the drug court diversion program is a
fraction of what it would be to imprison him.

It's a program that not only should be continued where it is working but
expanded statewide.

Enough crooks already in elections

The NAACP is really plumbing the depths in pursuit of black voters, trying
to sign up felons locked up behind bars.

You'd think the nation's premier civil rights organization has enough of a
job on its hands just trying to get law-abiding persons to register and
vote, considering the low turnouts that are typical of most elections.

NAACP officials are taking advantage of a loophole in Mississippi law that
allows some felons to cast ballots.

The state's 1890 Constitution spells out certain felonies for which
Mississippi residents lose their rights to vote. The courts have over the
years interpreted the list to cover 19 specific crimes. There are several
felonies that are not covered.

The distinctions don't make much sense. For instance, embezzlers lose their
right to vote, drug dealers don't. A person convicted of arson can't vote,
another convicted of manslaughter can.

The crazy quilt is just another example of the flaws that run throughout
Mississippi's Constitution. It should be amended to bar all felons from
voting. A person found guilty of a serious crime should lose this right.

From a public relations standpoint, this initiative by the NAACP doesn't
win it a lot of points. There's not much public sympathy for criminals. Nor
can we see many politicians actively going after the jailhouse voting bloc.

Besides, there are enough crooked folks already involved in trying to rig
elections. It's not a good idea to add bona fide criminals to the mix.