SENTENCING OPTIONS EXPLORED

Judge Martin Gaughan, of the first circuit in Brooke, Ohio, and Hancock
counties ran into a woman at the local grocery store. "Are you the Day
Report Center judge?" the woman asked. He answered yes, to which she
responded, "Thank you for saving my nephew's life." The program that has
become so important in so many counties throughout West Virginia is one
made possible by the Community Corrections Act, passed on July 1, 2001. The
31st Coalition for Justice met last night in the Monongalia County
Courthouse to discuss the statewide concerns surrounding the topic
'Restorative Justice Issues Relating to Community Corrections.' In short,
the act sets forth guidelines for the establishment of sentencing
alternatives for offenders who may not require full institutional custody,
since overcrowding of regional jails has become more of a problem. Counties
within the northern panhandle have started Day Report Centers, at which
offenders of lesser, non-violent crimes can go for various rehabilitation
programs. A planning committee in Morgantown has been working for over two
months, looking at ways similar programs can be implemented into Monongalia
and its surrounding counties. Community members were able to discuss the
aspects of community corrections programs with criminal justice officers
from across the state who were brought together to form a panel of experts.
This is the first statewide presentation to address communi ty corrections
and its future in other counties throughout W.Va., said probation project
assistant Trey Hinrichs. Hinrichs is one of four West Virginia University
students that have been working over the past two months with event
coordinator Phyllis Stewart, probation officer for Monongalia county. "We
wouldn't have been able to do it (the presentation) without them," Stewart
said, thanking the President David Hardesty and the university for
implementing the internship. "We've just been trying to set the foundation
and get the community involved in it (the corrections program)," Hinrichs
said. If implemented, the community corrections program would eliminate
those lesser offenders "just sitting in jail" and allow them to be
rehabilitated and become productive citizens in society, Hinrichs added.
"We're always looking at another sentencing option," Stewart said. Based on
funding, she believes a corrections program could be established in one to
two years.

An advisory board of community members would have to come together to
determine the level of interest in such a program, she said. Keynote
speaker James Lee, chief probation officer for the 1st circuit, explained
the financial aspects of community corrections programs - how much money it
costs to implement them, and how much it could ultimately save. He added
that the communities create their own programs based on their specific
needs, as the act allows a great amount of flexibility and requires
extensive community involvement. "44 percent of offenders are non-violent
and cost us money," Lee said. Funds for corrections programs would be
allocated through fees paid by the offenders.

Among those fees that contribute are probation fees, house arrest fees, and
court cost fees, said Lee. "No other program allows for community
involvement like this one does," he added. Rehabilitating non-violent
offenders in the community has the potential to save the state $37 million
per year, Lee said. The goals of the day report centers are to give the
court more options - and to allow them to assess each offender, determine
the appropriate treatment and then work on their reintegration into the
community. The assessments available at these centers include random drug
testing, substance abuse counseling, employment counseling and GED
education classes. "These people (the offenders) are not losers, they just
need help to achieve their potential," said Judge Martin Gaughan, of the
1st circuit Brooke, Ohio, and Hancock counties. "It's hard to see any
negative aspects to this program," said panelist Marcia Ashdown,
prosecuting attorney for Monongalia county. "One of the hardest things
about community corrections programs is getting them organized," said
panelist Mike aCutlip, deputy director of programs within the Division of
Criminal Justice Services. "We'll see the program blossom - we just need to
take the time to educate ... and work with the communities to get programs
started." Indeed, last night's presentation was the first step in bringing
these programs closer to the Morgantown community.