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NEW BUILDING, COURT DIRECTOR ON QUORUM COMMITTEES AGENDA

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Saturday, July 5, 2008 12:21 AM CDT

Funds to begin site preparation for a new court building adjacent to the county detention center will be considered by committees of the Jefferson County Quorum Court when they meet Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the County Courthouse.

County Judge Mike Holcomb has asked the county’s legislative body to appropriate $100,000, part of the money the county has received from the sale of the old county jail to the Arkansas Department of Correction, to a new fund so that work can begin on the new facility.

The new court building, to be located on East 3rd Avenue between State and Alabama streets, will be used by Jefferson County District Judge Kim Bridgforth and her staff, freeing up the space Bridgforth is now using at the Joe Thomas Public Safety Building downtown.

In a letter to Finance Committee Chairman Vannette Johnson, Holcomb noted that the new courtroom will minimize the security risk of having to transport prisoners to the courthouse for plea and arraignment and probable cause hearings.

“There also appears to be a courtroom shortage,” the judge said, making reference to the ongoing dispute between the city of Pine Bluff and the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library Board of Trustees regarding Division 2 of District Court, which is currently housed on the ground floor of the library.

The libraries board has filed eviction papers on the city, as well as a civil lawsuit, that will be heard Aug. 4.

Also scheduled to be discussed Tuesday is a request from First Division Circuit Judge Berlin Jones to create and fund a Drug Court special projects coordinator.

In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Curtis White, the judge said the concept of drug courts as an alternative to sending non-violent offenders to prison began in 1988, and Jefferson County Drug Court started in May 2004 with five participants.

“As of April, 2008, we have had 79 clients enter the program, 32 graduate, 16 be discharged, one sentenced to Community Corrections/Department of Correction while on post-graduate probation, and 31 active in the program,” Jones said. “No clients have re-offended or been sentenced to DCC/ADC after completing the program and probation.”

Duties of the special projects coordinator will include public relations and community networking activities, establishing communities ties to provide help to drug court participants including educational, medical, housing and employment assistance.

“As a result of the success of the Drug Court program nationally and locally, it is our desire to expand our existing program to provide more services to more individuals,” Jones said in the letter to White. “In order to do this, the Drug Court needs an individual devoted to procuring financial and community resources that better the lives of the Drug Court participants.”

If approved when the full court meets July 14, the Drug Court special projects director would be paid $40,000 annually plus fringe benefits, retroactive to June 1, through the end of the year.

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