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JUDGE TALKS JUVENILE COURT AT COFFEE WITH THE CHIEFS

By Larry Fugate/Special to The Commercial
Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:12 AM CST

Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Berlin C. Jones told the monthly Weed and Seed Coffee with the Chiefs meeting Wednesday morning that he volunteered to head up the county’s drug court because of the latter’s many benefits to the community.

“We are not talking about forgiving crime, but doing something constructive,” he told the men and women meeting at Truth and Love Church of God in Christ Worship Center.

Jones used math to make his point, noting it costs $45 daily to keep someone behind bars, but $4 a day to operate the drug court. “You do the math,” he added.

Individuals enrolled in drug court are tracked daily, the judge said, and the drug testing system used is so sensitive it will reveal if a participant is literally drinking too much water. Participants are expected to go to school or obtain a job, plus support their minor children.

Individuals who fail to complete their assignments are assigned to clean restrooms in public buildings for “motivation.”

Drug court participants are taught proper job interview etiquette, required to arrive 15 minutes early for their appointments and do a good deed each week “to enhance the community — all part of a change of life,” Jones explained.

Not all of the court participants have been convicted of drug charges, but must have been convicted of a major crime to qualify for the program.

“By the time they get to us, they have bottomed out,” Jones said. “They come to us ragged and homeless.”

He said a foundation has been established to pay for needs not covered by state appropriations for drug courts.

In other action Wednesday, Pine Bluff Police Chief John Howell said crime is down 10 percent for the year in the city. However, he encouraged residents to use caution and common sense to protect their property during the holiday season, a prime “shopping period” for thieves and burglars.

Fire Chief Dannie Smith spoke briefly about fire safety during the holidays when Christmas lights, trees and space heaters pose dangers, saying he hopes Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services personnel can be more proactive.

The Rev. Jesse C. Turner, program coordinator, presented Weed and Seed commendation awards to Jones and a representative of Juvenile Court Judge Earnest Brown.

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