LAFAYETTE COUNTY CONSIDERS DRUG COURT

OXFORD - Lafayette County is considering a drug court that could save
thousands of dollars.

Charles Harrison,representing Lafayette County judges Andrew Howorth and
Henry Lackey, told supervisors here Monday that adding a court to handle
drug-related offenses, similar to what is being done in other states, could
save about $18,000 per offender.

The drug court would sentence a limited number of drug offenders to 12-24
months of intensive therapy as opposed to prison terms, Harrison explained.

"By no means does that mean (the sentences) are soft on any of these
folks," he said.

Under the court, offenders can be sentenced in a number of ways, including
attending daily support meetings or therapy, submitting to drug testing and
performing community service.

"The theory is that through intensive treatment, we can lower the crime
rate and lower drug use for these individuals," Harrison said.

An added benefit is the money saved in treating drug offenders instead of
incarcerating them, he said.

Savings in treatment

Drug treatment costs an estimated $2,000 a year per offender, compared to
about $18,000-$20,000 to house a person in jail for the same amount of
time, Harrison said.

Howorth and Lackey have expressed the desire to add a drug court in
Lafayette County and are looking into federal funding for the program, he said.

Similar drug courts have been successfully implemented in other states such
as Florida and Louisiana. The courts reported a 30-60 percent decrease in
the number of repeat offenders, Harrison said.

The proposal to apply for drug court grants was presented for the board's
information at itsr monthly meeting Monday at theChancery Building. No
action was taken on the issue.