THE ROAD TO RECOVERY: DRUG COURT GRADUATION

Twenty-one individuals from southwest Mississippi will graduate from
Judge Keith Starrett's drug court Monday morning after undergoing
strict supervision and treatment.

Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice James W. Smith Jr. will be the
guest speaker for the 11:30 a.m. ceremony at the courthouse in Magnolia.

Monday's graduates bring the total number of successful participants
to 56. Starrett founded the drug court in 1999.

Some of the graduates have been to prison before and were in trouble
again because of drugs and alcohol, according to Starrett, who created
drug court in an effort to stem the tide of repeat criminal offenders.

By giving them a second chance, Starrett said, "We are not ignoring
what they are doing. We are going to make them accountable. But we are
going to do it differently than if they were in the penitentiary. This
is about changing people's lives instead of just punishing them. This
is the first time in their adult lives that they have been clean and
sober for an extended period of time."

The drug court does not accept individuals with felony convictions or
pending convictions for crimes of violence. Drug dealers and
manufacturers are also ineligible.

Starrett said it costs taxpayers millions of dollars to "lock people
up," only to have them commit the same crimes over and over.

Fees and fines pay for part of the drug court. The 21 graduates
completing the program Monday have paid $61,149 in fines and
restitution and an additional $21,350 in fees, according to drug court
coordinator Russanna Lindley.

The 150 individuals enrolled in the drug court are from the 14th
Circuit Court district, which includes Pike, Walthall and Lincoln
counties. There are no openings in the program now.

Participants must complete drug treatment and frequent drug
screenings. They appear before Starrett periodically to report on
their progress.