Pubdate: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 Source: Reuters Copyright: 1999 Reuters Limited. RENO PROPOSES SPECIAL COURTS FOR RELEASED PRISONERS WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno proposed Thursday that special courts be set up to supervise a prisoner's return to the community, an effort aimed at preventing repeat crimes by the 500,000 inmates who get out of state prisons each year. Reno said at her weekly Justice Department news briefing that local officials would be asked to submit their ideas in creating ``reentry courts,'' and they would see if the idea helps keep high-risk offenders from committing new crimes. ``Too often, offenders leave prison and return to the community without supervision, without jobs, without housing. They quickly fall back into their old patterns of drug usage, gang activities and other crimes,'' she said. ``Our goal is to minimize public safety risks that occur when offenders come back to the community ill-prepared to cope,'' Reno said. Under the proposal, judges would approve a plan for re-integrating the offender into the community. The court would monitor and enforce the plan, similar to what is currently done under the parole system. The reentry courts would be modeled after the special drug courts which Reno has advocated. Unlike traditional courts, many of which have been overwhelmed by a huge caseload, the new courts would have a limited caseload and sufficient resources, she said. Justice Department officials said they are sending out invitations to state and local officials to tape part in the program, and their proposals must be submitted by December Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea