LAWRENCE PLANS NEW SENTENCING PROGRAM

MOULTON - If everything falls into place, the Lawrence County court system
could begin an alternative sentencing program within the next few months.

Circuit Judge Phillip Reich met earlier this week with the Lawrence County
Commission and outlined the planned program, called the Lawrence County
Community Corrections Program. After hearing the program's proposal,
commissioners unanimously approved it.

Reich said there are 20-21 counties within the state that operate a
community corrections program.

"The program gives the judge better control over the people they deal with,
and it can mean savings to the county," Reich said. "It will not create a
halfway house or bring other people into the county from other counties or
put violent offenders on the street."

Reich said he would have final approval of who was sentenced to go into the
program.

He said the program, in essence, allows individuals sentenced to prison
time, who meet certain requirements, to do the time without going to jail.

"This would put people who normally would be sitting in the county jail or
in prison under strict supervised monitoring," Reich said, "which would
allow them to be out working and paying off fines."

District Attorney Jim Osborn of the Alabama Department of Corrections is
encouraging counties across the state to implement the program.

Osborn said he wants to emphasize that no one who is considered a danger to
the public will be in the program.

"Defendants who need to go to prison will continue to go to prison; that's
not going to change," Osborn said.

He said individuals placed in the program will be under intensive,
supervised monitoring.

"They will have to undergo routine drug screening and constantly stay in
contact with their supervisors," he said.

Reich said the program will not cost the county any money, in fact, he said
it should be a savings to the county.

He said the state would provide start-up money to get the program implemented.

"And then it should be self-sufficient," Reich said.

"The taxpayers don't have to fund these defendants' incarceration," Osborn
added.

Reich said he believes the county will realize savings through jail medical
costs and overtime at the jail.

Commissioner Bradley Cross said he sees the program as a benefit to the
county "and to our general fund."

Reich said that while there is still work to be done before the program can
begin, he hopes to have it up and going within 60 days.