DRUG COURT DONATIONS TOP $40,000

PASCAGOULA -- Private contributions to Jackson County's drug court program
now total $40,800, Supervisor Frank Leach said Monday.

"That means there are a lot of people interested in this," he said.

The revelation about the contributions came during a board discussion about
the salary of Joanne Byrd, the program coordinator for the George-/Greene
County Drug Court, who will have the same job here.

Her $54,000 salary, county officials said, will be split between Jackson,
George and Greene counties.

The supervisors have pledged up to $50,000 to find the drug court for the
remainder of the 2004 fiscal year, and the program's estimated $67,843
operating budget for the remaining five months of the fiscal year will be
split between public and private funds.

State law allows private contributions for the court program.

The supervisors said they expect to have a final budget for the remainder
of the year in the next few weeks.

"This was one of our goals, to fund this project without putting it all on
the backs of the taxpayers," Leach said.

Circuit Judge Kathy King Jackson began the drug court program in George and
Greene counties in 2002.

The court is designed to address substance abuse problems that cause people
to commit crimes by treating the addiction to curb criminal behavior.
People admitted to the program have either been indicted by a grand jury or
been arrested on a felony drug charge and referred to the program by police.

Offenders who have committed violent crimes, have been charged with selling
drugs or residential burglaries are ineligible.