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TRAINING, CASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 11:12 PM CDT

Money to pay for training juvenile court officers and a software package to improve court operations won approval from two committees of the Jefferson County Quorum Court Tuesday night.

Both the judicial and finance committees of the county’s legislative body recommended the full court approve the appropriations when it meets next Monday at 5:30 p.m.

One of those appropriations calls for spending $5,500 to train juvenile officers so they can conduct anger management classes, substance abuse classes and responsible living classes for juvenile clients.

The second appropriation, for $31,094.30, would allow juvenile court to buy the TRACE application software package, a program that is in use in both Craighead and Saline counties.

Juvenile Judge Earnest Brown Jr. said the package would increase the efficiency of court operations by allowing juvenile officers to monitor and update information on juveniles, including regular photographs.

“There might be four or five people in the system named John Smith, but with the photographs, we could be sure we have the right one and avoid the possibility of false arrest, since the information would also be shared with police, MECA (Metropolitan Emergency Communications Association) and the juvenile prosecutors,” Brown said.

County Judge Mike Holcomb said the information would also be helpful to FINS (Families In Need of Services) officers, who monitor juveniles in schools and home settings.

Also recommended for approval by the quorum court was the transfer of $2,750 from the county general fund to juvenile court to cover drug court expenses.

That money was the result of a $2,000 donation from Simmons First National Bank and $750 from Pine Bluff National Bank, with the donations designated for Juvenile Drug Court.

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