Program will help offenders find work
By ANGELINA DICKSON and WARREN SCOTT, Staff writersWELLSBURG - Three justices of the West Virginia State Supreme Court have signed an order authorizing a program aimed at rehabilitating some prisoners with drug abuse and mental health issues by helping them to find work and living accommodations.
Gov. Joe Manchin also was on hand for the signing, which occurred Friday at the Brooke County Courthouse, and involved state Supreme Court Justices Menis Ketchum, Ed McHugh and Brent Benjamin and Steve Canterbury, administrative director for the court.
Jim Lee, chief probation officer for Hancock, Brooke and Ohio counties, said the the program will be conducted on a trial basis and involve criminals who are eligible for parole and deemed good candidates for rehabilitation by court officials.
Lee said individuals whose crimes have been linked closely with drug and alcohol abuse or other mental health issues and who have little means to support themselves will be targeted for the program.
He said murderers and sexual offenders won't be considered for the program.
Lee said the participants will be required to undergo counseling and periodic drug and alcohol screenings and perform community service while receiving job training or assistance in finding a job through such state agencies as WorkForce West Virginia or the state Division of Rehabilitation Services.
He said contacts with businesses willing to consider employment of former prisoners have been established through the counties' drug courts.
Initiated by Lee and others in recent years, the drug courts and mental health courts were formed with a similar purpose: to offer counseling and supervised probation in lieu of jail time to offenders deemed by court and law enforcement officials to be good candidates for rehabilitation.
Lee said the success of the drug courts in the Northern Panhandle have led to 22 drug courts being formed elsewhere in the state with support from Manchin, who allocated $2.5 million in state funds for them.
Lee said the three counties' court systems are assuming the costs for the re-entry court program for now, but he is seeking a grant to offset those costs.
The courts and other alternative sentencing programs, such as electronically monitored home confinement, pioneered by Lee and others have been found to save counties' thousands in regional jail fees.
Lee said they also have proven successful in reducing the number of repeat offenders, with 23 percent of offenders who undergo such programs returning to jail compared to 74 percent who serve jail time only.
Brent Benjamin, chief justice of the state Supreme Court, said 70 percent of West Virginia's prisoners are non-violent offenders and the re-entry court will help to change lives.
Manchin said, "This program shows compassionate, financial redirection that will benefit all West Virginians. West Virginia is walking the walk and working to keep putting its people first by making sure addicts get and stay clean and have the skills to be productive citizens."
"I know there are challenges and there won't be a 100 percent success rate, but helping one person is a success," he added.
Gaughan, who will preside over the re-entry court, said it "will help return individuals to society and give them a fair chance to succeed."
(Dickson can be contacted at adickson@weirtondailytimes.com. Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)
