PARENTS WITH METH LABS BEWARE

Sheriff Vows To Step Up Fight Where Children Are Endangered By Drugs

Sheriff Greg Bartlett said he plans to step up the fight against
parents endangering their children with drugs, such as a Somerville
couple who remained jailed Tuesday, accused of raising their baby in
a meth lab.

Of 400 to 450 methamphetamine labs raided in Morgan County in the
last four years, 60 to 70 percent of the residences had children
living in them, Bartlett said.

"We're running into these houses where these kids are being forced
to live in a meth lab. They're walking around barefoot and the red
phosphorous is being absorbed through their skin. We've had some
with esophagus damage from inhaling the fumes. These parents are
killing their kids," Bartlett said.

Bartlett could not release specific information about the condition
of the 5-week-old girl taken from the 631 Charest Road residence of
Christopher Chad Jennings, 29, and Melissa Ann Jones, 32. Deputies
responded to a domestic violence call Sunday at the home and said
they found a working meth lab.

Bartlett said the Department of Human Resources claims the children
and takes them to a hospital for testing and decontamination. Their
toys, clothes and everything from their former homes must be thrown
away because of chemical contaminants, Bartlett said.

They can't return to their former, toxin-filled homes.

"If their parents want them back, it's up to them to provide them
with a safe environment," Bartlett said.

"If the truth be told, half of them would sell their kids for drugs.
I don't have any sympathy for most of these parents. We all know
what meth does to you. And like in the case of this guy, (Jennings),
he's not doing anything to get better. I've got room for him in the
new jail, and if it takes filling it up with drug cases, that's what
I'll do. What those parents are doing is slow murder over time."

Jennings' bond was set at $1 million on the drug manufacturing
charge alone. According to Bartlett, Jennings has had at least three
prior drug arrests. Jones also has prior arrests, authorities said.

Bartlett said a new law, the Drug Endangered Children Act, gives
authorities "teeth" when it comes to cracking down on meth-users
raising their kids in contaminated homes.

The Sheriff's Department has made six charges under the law since it
went into effect in June, and Bartlett said he hopes to expand his
department's ability to enforce it by obtaining additional personnel
and other resources.

"It's an epidemic," he said. "This has become so serious with us we
have recently reassigned one of our investigators to work only child
abuse, drug endangerment and sex offender cases. We've got so many
cases coming in.

"Almost every meth lab we go to, we're going to be able to make a
(child abuse) case, and we plan to make those cases. One person will
not be able to handle the caseload, so we need to add extra personnel."

Both Jennings and Jones face charges of first-degree manufacturing a
controlled substance, child abuse, possession of drug paraphernalia
and third-degree domestic violence. Jennings remained in Morgan
County Jail on Monday in lieu of $1,012,500 bond. Jones remained
jailed in lieu of $127,500 bond.