A SECOND CHANCE FOR YOUTHS

Grant Will Permit Expansion Of Juvenile Drug Court For Chesterfield, Colonial
Heights

Steven wielded a hammer and other tools yesterday as he helped put the
finishing touches on a Habitat for Humanity house in eastern Henrico
County.

That might not seem significant at first glance.

But consider that it wasn't long ago when Steven, now 16 and a
sophomore at Chesterfield County's L.C. Bird High School, brandished a
knife in front of his parents.

This was part of a downward spiral that began three years ago, when
Steven started using a variety of illegal drugs and hanging out with a
mischievous crowd.

His rap sheet includes arrests for drug possession, assault and grand
larceny.

Now, however, Steven and three other youths from Chesterfield and
Colonial Heights have new leases on life, thanks to the volunteer
Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Juvenile Drug Court.

"This program is the best thing that ever happened to me," Steven
said.

The court began in February, after 18 months of planning, as a pilot
program because no money was available. An array of service providers
- - including prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers,
substance abuse and mental health counselors, school representatives
and police officers - provide the juvenile drug court services in
addition to their regular duties.

But Melanie Meadows, the court's administrator, said a $499,840,
two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will allow the
court to expand to serve up to 25 troubled youths with some full-time,
paid staff by early next year.

Judge Jerry Hendrick of Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations
District Court meets with the four drug-court youths at 4:30 p.m.
every Thursday. He holds a hearing, with the team of service providers
and the teens' parents present, to mete out rewards for good behavior
and sanctions for bad behavior for that week.

The youths are also drug-tested three to five times a week,
participate in therapeutic recreation activities and skills groups.
They are monitored at school and work, if employed, and have curfews
as early as 6 p.m. on weekdays. The program is designed to last 12
months, but Meadows said most participants will take 15 to 18 months.

While these teens have had these services available to them before,
the various agencies work much more closely in the juvenile drug court
than they would otherwise.

"We did work closely with probation," Chesterfield therapist Patricia
Mallen said, "but never did we meet on a weekly basis. This is much
more integrated."

Yesterday, the four youths, their parents, and many of their
service-providers were doing the community-service portion of the
program by helping out with the Habitat for Humanity house-building
project, on Crawford Street in Henrico County.

The teens have also built a bridge at Pocahontas State Park in
Chesterfield and cleaned up schools, yards and other locations.

Amanda, 16, of Chesterfield, just received her General Educational
Development certificate on Friday. She plans to eventually attend a
culinary school and become a chef.

Amanda's mother, Donna Fuhs, said she signed her daughter up for the
program after Amanda had stolen her credit card and run up the balance
for her drug habit. Amanda had used an assortment of illegal drugs,
for four years. This year, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Therapists determined she was trying to self-medicate with drugs such
as cocaine and Ecstasy.

Amanda and Steven relapsed soon after starting the court program. Both
were eventually placed in group homes. Amanda has since left her group
home, while Steven is due to leave next month.

Amanda said the group-home stay turned her around. She even was
awarded two free cooking classes at Virginia Gourmet in the Shoppes at
Bellegrade in Chesterfield after being sober for 90 days.

Steven, who plays in the Bird High drum line, said he would eventually
like to get a master's degree in music, or possibly join the military.

"Steven always was too smart for his own good," said his father, Mark
Jones. "He passed his classes without having to study, made the honor
roll in fourth, sixth and seventh grades. But he's got to keep his act
together - which he seems to be doing a lot better lately."