Statistics give local students mixed grades on drug use. (Jerry Martin/The Daily Home) When it comes to drug use in schools, area youths receive mixed grades. Data indicates a higher percentage of use in grades six, seven and eight locally compared to nationally. But fewer students in grades nine, 10 and 11 are using drugs than the national average. Sylacauga, Pell City, Talladega city and Talladega County are among more than 9,500 school systems nationally that use the PRIDE survey to measure illicit drug use. PRIDE stands for Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education. [continues 1914 words]
The front-line soldiers in the war on drugs don't carry guns or badges, they don't raid crack houses or make arrests. They are the teachers and school professionals who are the primary source of drug education for youths ages 10 to 18, and their actions may be the key to stemming the growing illegal drug problem in the South, according to a national survey that schools across the area took part in during the 2002-2003 school year. [continues 1780 words]
Phase I: Participants must secure employment, perform community service or enroll in school; begin paying any restitution or fines owed; pay $31.75 a week for treatment; attend treatment sessions three times a week; work toward securing graduation equivalency, driver license and voter registration when possible; report to court every Friday; observe 11 p.m. curfew; remain clean and sober and submit to frequent drug tests. Phase II: Participants must continue the elements of Phase I but attend treatment sessions twice weekly and report to court every other Friday. Phase III: Participants must successfully complete all tasks outlined in Phase I, have clean drug tests for six months; attend sessions once weekly and report to court once a month. To graduate from the program, all fines and fees must be paid in full. [end]
A recent letter writer argued that the treatment that worked in his recovery is appropriate for other opiate addicts and that methadone treatment denies them "true recovery, keeping them in a helpless state of mind." This one-size-fits-all mentality contradicts the fact that people have varying benefits from similar treatments for any disease. For opiate addiction, there is no single treatment that works best for everyone. The writer holds that methadone treatment is "replacing one drug for another." By this reasoning, a person "self-medicating" with alcohol for depression should not take antidepressant medications, but should just quit the booze and buck up. [continues 128 words]
BREWTON -- Dianna Wiggins stood before the judge in her work uniform, smiling, eyes bright and confidence apparent. She told the judge about moving into her own apartment with a roommate, a friend from her job at the Huddle House restaurant, and about promo tions she earned at work. Wiggins had been clean and sober for nine months, the cravings for methamphetamine a manageable part of her recovery so far. "I feel my independence growing," Wiggins told the Mobile Register. "Wednesday I'll get paid and I can catch up my treatment fees. I'm trying to stay on top of things, keep my bills paid. This program saved my life, and I'm going to make the most of it." [continues 464 words]
I don't think it is right to let people out of prison early. Their punishment is not being served; it is not fair to other people; and it's not safe for the community. I think the whole idea is stupid. When you do something bad, you are supposed to be punished for it. If we are just letting them out of prison early, then they are not being punished. If they can get out early, don't you think they are just going to do it again? [continues 132 words]
BREWTON -- Richard Allen Faulkner, 43, sat nervously with his bag packed at his feet in the courtroom. Too many times in recent weeks, he had faced the judge knowing he would spend time in jail for using crack cocaine. Faulkner is an addict struggling to beat his cravings and stay in an alternative sentencing program, Escambia County Drug Court, that could wipe out felony charges and help him start a new life. But he needs to find a way to stay clean and sober, he said. [continues 469 words]
Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, and Guy Gurley of Munford is living proof that it can be. At the age of 21, Gurley smoked his first joint. "A friend offered it to me, and I was curious and I smoked it. Then I smoked marijuana nearly every day for 10 years," he said. He said the marijuana use led him away from his Christian upbringing and into the company of people who loved to get high. [continues 1153 words]
[Editor's note: Names in the following story have been changed to protect the source's identity. Darryl Morris was 14 years old the first time he was suspected by police of being a drug dealer.] Living in Tampa, Fla., the marijuana was plentiful and Morris knew where to get lots of it. His circle of friends was much older, and they were dealing drugs, too. He said he was lured into the business by the easy money. "Money is always a motivating factor. It's a lucrative business," he said. [continues 708 words]
The population at the Montgomery County jail has remained even over the past month, in spite of the fact that jury trials came to a halt Nov. 24. But controlling the number of inmates at any time of year has become easier, thanks to community corrections efforts, according to some judges and law enforcement officials. The jail population as of Dec. 19 was 397, according to Sheriff D.T. Marshall, just a few bodies down from November when jury trials stopped in a measure to save money in the face of statewide budget cuts. At the time, Marshall speculated that shutting down the jury system briefly would have little impact on the jail population, since other court hearings would still take place. [continues 430 words]
Although drug abuse puts a strain on virtually every aspect of civil society, it probably places no greater burden anywhere than on the justice system. And, according to local prosecutors, at least one of the major factors in creating this strain is a lack of resources to punish those who break drug laws. "Being a prosecutor is not an easy job, by any means," said Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens. "If all of a sudden every single illegal drug in the county were to disappear, this still wouldn't be an easy job. But it would be a lot easier than it is now." [continues 1303 words]
I appreciate a recent letter writer's opinion on methadone, and realize the writer has the background to add weight to his opinion. But I disagree. Certainly, 12-step programs work, and they have for 70 years or so. But even these programs admit, in their creed, that there are those who are basically so far gone that the 12 steps probably won't work for them. What's to become of these lost souls? Euthanasia? There's more than one avenue for treatment. Methadone has shown its effectiveness over the past 30-plus years, else the conservative federal government would not allow it to be. Bottom line, methadone allows addicts to have freedom from withdrawals, freedom from craving and freedom from those who profit from illegal drug sales. They are able to have as close to a normal life as possible. And it requires little work on the addicts' part. [continues 105 words]
Law enforcement officers are used to facing danger on the job. But throw drugs into the equation and that danger grows exponentially. "I responded to a call about a shooting at a house," said Bill Kennedy, who was a patrolman for 12 years before becoming commander of the Talladega Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The call was to the home of a man who started shooting out all the windows of his house while his pregnant wife huddled in a room fearing for her life. [continues 538 words]
A new survey on prison funding reveals much about Alabama's situation, in both fiscal and correctional terms. In essence, it finds that the state is doing a lot with a little in comparison to other states, but the figures also indicate the severity of the problems Alabama confronts in its prison system. In fiscal 2003, the budget for the Alabama Department of Corrections was $291 million for a system with nearly 28,000 inmates. The per-inmate cost was about $10,400, lower than in any other state. A lot lower. [continues 335 words]
It's understandable that some county prosecutors are concerned about the growing number of inmates who are being released from state prisons. They don't see the wisdom of accelerated paroles, saying it's no long-term solution to prison crowding - not when they expect to see the same inmates back in their courts in a matter of months. That's certainly a risk. And it's a risk that is of particular interest to those of us living in Jefferson County, which had more inmates on the December parole hearing docket than any other county in Alabama. [continues 298 words]
Last time he was in trouble in federal court, former Prichard police Officer Larry David Bailey Jr. was acquitted on extortion charges. On Tuesday, Bailey left U.S. District Judge Charles Butler Jr.'s courtroom in handcuffs and shackles, with a year and a half left to serve on the 28-month term Butler handed him for possessing cocaine with an intent to distribute it. Bailey, 31, will get a 10-month credit for having been in jail since February, shortly after he was indicted by a federal grand jury. He pleaded guilty in March. [continues 259 words]
HOW BIG IS THE PROBLEM? St. Clair County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Roy Mullins and his K-9 partner, Barry, check and search cars for drugs at county high schools on a regular basis. Mullins said he feels crystal meth is the biggest threat to young people right now. (Kellie Long/The Daily Home) Every time police officers arrest a drug dealer, every time they raid a crystal meth lab, every time they seize a car, cash and dope shipment, they win another battle in the war against drugs. [continues 1217 words]
The streets in western Barbour County are cleaner-at least for now. We're not talking about new beautification efforts, either. We're talking about the suspected drug dealers rounded up in a recent sweep headed by the Barbour/Bullock County Drug Task Force. The eight-month operation ended with the arrest of at least 12 suspected drug dealers. Many were allegedly caught on tape selling drugs to undercover agents. We commend Det. Stephen Hanners of the Drug Task Force, along with agents Lonnie Adams, David Dubose and Michael Saad. The community owes them a debt of gratitude for enduring the stress and long hours such an operation demands. [continues 113 words]
Describing Gerald Eugene Bennett as a methamphetamine "cook," officials used his guilty plea to attempted murder Monday to alert the public about proliferating meth labs in Mobile County and to warn would-be manufacturers to stay out of the business. Four years ago there were no meth lab busts in Mobile County, according to Capt. Bruce Lee of the Sheriff's Department. This year, he said, there were about 100. One of them involved Bennett, 38, who opened fire with a .25-caliber gun when his Theodore home was raided in May 2002. He shot Mobile County Deputy Roy Cuthkelvin, according to federal court testimony. [continues 392 words]
Many Pushing Reforms To Reduce Overcrowding Tout Long-Term Savings MONTGOMERY - It's no mystery what Alabama could do to improve its criminal justice system, nor the reason the state can't do so now. The keys - more supervision, sentencing law changes, more community corrections options, transition and treatment centers for drug-addicted inmates - all require one thing Alabama doesn't have: money. Alabama's current sentencing structure, as well as its most "one-size-fits-all" punishment options - probation or prison - are largely blamed for the state's chronic prison overcrowding. [continues 963 words]
Too many inmates, not enough cells; hence, more paroles For three days this week, The Times examined the state's prison system and Gov. Bob Riley's plan to relieve crowded conditions by speeding up early parole for some inmates. The articles, written by Montgomery Correspondent Anthony McCartney, examined the situation in detail - the number of prisoners up for parole, the crimes they were convicted of, the use of alternative sentencing programs, the structure of the state's criminal laws. Even so, the problems confronting the state's law enforcement and judicial systems boil down to two elements: Alabama has 28,000 people in a prison system built for 12,000. The state has been adding 1,000 inmates a year; to accommodate those inmates would require a new prison to be built every year, and that hasn't happened. [continues 459 words]
I must respond to all of the controversy about the early paroles. My son is an inmate at an Alabama prison, serving a 20-year sentence for committing robbery with a pair of fingernail clippers. My son is also a recovering drug addict who up until this arrest had never been in trouble with the law. He began doing drugs at the age of 15 after the death of his father. His drug use continued for 20 years. It started with marijuana and then went to crack cocaine. Need I say more? The crack cocaine took control. [continues 288 words]
Suspending A Student For Using Ibuprofen Was A Foolish Decision Ysatis Jones is a good student, all A's and B's. She's never been a discipline problem, according to her records. Jones, who is black, doesn't think at least one white teacher at Clay-Chalkville High School in the Jefferson County town of Pinson treats minority students fairly, but it hasn't been a major issue for her. But Jones, 15, won't be going to classes at Clay-Chalkville for the next month. She's been suspended. And she has been told she must attend alternative school, where the kids with discipline issues are sent - although her mother says that's not going to happen. [continues 373 words]
The cost of prescription drugs isn't the only problem that legal medications pose for Alabama. Some of the state's schools are taking an irrational approach to prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Schools have a good reason to be concerned about the medications their students use. Illegally obtained prescription drugs sometimes fall into young people's hands. Other students, not mindful of directions or dosage recommendations for medicines purchased legally, can be harmed if the school has no policy in place to protect them. [continues 206 words]
School Sets Bad Example With Harsh Punishment Sometimes, zero tolerance makes zero sense. A case in point is the suspension handed down recently by Jefferson County school officials to a 15-year-old girl who took a Motrin pill at school to relieve menstrual cramps. The Clay-Chalkville High School sophomore was suspended and assigned to an alternative school for one month for an offense that the student code of conduct classifies as a major drug offense. Major drug offense? For taking Motrin, a common over-the-counter drug for menstrual pain? [continues 301 words]
This is in response to the article on the methadone clinics in Alabama. As a licensed chemical dependency counselor and a recovering heroin and opiate addict myself, I get discouraged whenever I read anything about these facilities. In the article, Dr. Norman Huggins says an opiate addiction is a brain disease that requires chemical treatment. I will agree in saying that addiction is a disease, but I and thousands of other people in this country have found a way to get over our addiction through counseling and work in a 12-step program. In addiction, the chemical is only a symptom of the disease, and substituting one drug for another just keeps the individual in a helpless state of mind. [continues 76 words]
I listened to a long few minutes of the new, improved, color-safe, rehabilitated Rush the other day, only to discover he's the same insufferable, boring, cruel braggart he always was, on or off drugs. Rush was - at that random moment I chose to tune in - making fun of now-dead former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon's heart ailment and impending surgery, an operation that a few days later proved fatally complicated. It came as news to him, Limbaugh snickered, that liberals even have hearts. [continues 562 words]
It's happened again. This time in Alabama. A school system has taken unreasonably drastic measures against a student for a seemingly minor offense. A Clay-Chalkville High School student was suspended for a month and sent to an alternative school. Her infraction? Taking ibuprofen - an over-the-counter painkiller similar to aspirin - for cramps. And that's just ridiculous. Other than this black mark, the girl has a clean disciplinary record and good grades. She said she was too embarrassed to ask her male teacher for permission to visit the main office to take the medicine. [continues 211 words]
None of Bernard Brown's old friends and family wanted anything to do with him a year ago, with good reason. If he wasn't high on painkillers, Brown spent his time searching for the next score of whatever else he could find. Finally, after failed sobriety attempts and a stint in prison, the Birmingham man had enough. "I'm almost 40 years old; I ain't 24 anymore," he said one recent morning, shortly after getting his daily dose of methadone. [continues 968 words]
ROGERSVILLE - Amanda expected an institutional setting when she opened the doors of the two-story English Tudor home off U.S. 72. "I thought it was going to be like a hospital," the 23-year-old woman said. Amanda, who asked that her full name not be used to protect her privacy, has completed two months of a substance abuse treatment program. She lives at Freedom House with a dozen other women recovering from drug and alcohol abuse at the residential program in Rogersville. [continues 231 words]
Could Be Prerequisite For Students Wanting To Obtain Parking Permits HARTSELLE - The Hartselle Board of Education might expand its drug-testing program to include students who park vehicles on campus. "I want y'all to think about this, but I'd like to expand the drug testing to include anyone who drives a car," Superintendent Lee Hartsell said at Thursday's meeting. He added: "There is very little that I would change about our policy because it is a good one. But I know systems that have included students that drive to school." [continues 420 words]
With Alabama prisons bursting at the seams, it's counterproductive for some judges and prosecutors to argue against early parole for nonviolent offenders. One of the more vocal critics is Baldwin County Circuit Judge Robert Wilters, who said recently that if the parole board cuts sentences too short, you're going to have anarchy. The Register's editorial board would never suggest that the state's early-release program should be exempt from responsible criticism. But to suggest that Alabama faces anarchy because of it is an exaggeration. [continues 373 words]
There has been much talk about the overcrowding in our jails and prisons. Our government has ordered many prisoners released early, a lot of these not only being thieves but hardcore criminals as well. My son is in prison. His crime? His little sister was run off the road and killed by an old man not supposed to be driving, who did not even spend the night in jail. My son tried to drown his sorrow in drugs and alcohol. I'm not making excuses for him; he was wrong, too. I could not find a way to fill the hole in his heart. [continues 186 words]
Alabama is speeding up the release of thousands of "nonviolent" offenders to save money and reduce the prison population. WE SUGGEST Releasing prisoners back into society would only cost more in the long run; the state needs to find other ways to reduce overcrowding. Alabama is caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to its prison population On the one hand, the state is housing more than 28,000 prisoners in facilities built to hold less than half that number. [continues 360 words]
When I read David Wilson's Nov. 23 Commentary article titled "Number of blacks in prison is a wake-up call," I was both saddened and appalled to learn that in just 20 years there has been more than a 500 percent increase in the number of black men behind bars, while only a 30 percent increase in the number going to college. It was interesting to me how Wilson mentioned that the black prisoners doing work on his property were in prison for possessing the minimum amount of marijuana, because reading that made me think about an editorial Nov. 19 about the need for more prison guards. One of the two things listed as driving prisons to this crisis point was a rapidly growing prison population, fueled by foolish, get-tough-on-crime laws. [continues 100 words]
Judges, Prosecutors Say Reducing Long Sentences Will Hurt Deterrence The releases of thousands of criminals from Alabama's overstuffed prisons will have an impact far beyond former convicts committing new offenses, judges and prosecutors predict. Several officials said they worry that early paroles will weaken one of their best tools to deter would-be criminals who have not yet broken the law: fear. Baldwin County Circuit Judge Robert Wilters offered James Edward Foster as Exhibit A. Wilters sentenced the 30-year-old Foley man to life in prison in October 2000 after finding him guilty of possession of cocaine. The stiff sentence resulted from Foster's criminal history, which included felony convictions for distribution of cocaine, possession of cocaine and escape, as well as cocaine possession charges that later resulted in a conviction in Monroe County. [continues 1599 words]
Even those who view the American criminal justice system as imperfect are likely to acknowledge that it remains better than all others. And it is a system that can be improved, if its participants are willing to look for ways to make it work better. Fortunately, some officials in Etowah County are willing to do that, to learn more about how they can combat particular offenses in a variety of ways, including the way they structure court schedules. Such is the case with Circuit Judge Allen Millican and Assistant District Attorney Jimmie Harp's development of special drug dockets for crystal methamphetamine cases. [continues 262 words]
Goal Is to Cut Costs, Make State Prisons Less Crowded MONTGOMERY - The state Board of Pardons and Paroles doubled its ability to consider parole cases Monday when a new, four-member panel began hearings to release nonviolent offenders under a plan to relieve prison overcrowding. The panel, meeting in an industrial park in Montgomery, was created during the last legislative session to help release up to 5,000 nonviolent inmates - many convicted of petty theft, DUI or drug cases. Releasing nonviolent offenders is also one way the state is cutting expenses in the wake of a budget shortfall and the defeat of Gov. Bob Riley's $1.2 billion tax plan in September. [continues 848 words]
Judge Allen Millican had sentenced people on crystal methamphetamine drug charges before, but he did not realize just how crucial getting the person to court so quickly could be - until he heard from addicts at a symposium sponsored by federal agencies. Millican, in his third year as an Etowah County Circuit Court judge, and Deputy District Attorney Jimmie Harp, who prosecutes the majority of drug cases, attended the symposium in Chattanooga, Tenn., in August. "On the way back, we came up with an idea," Millican said. [continues 527 words]
FLORENCE - Other issues besides money dominate Alabama Department of Human Resources Commissioner Bill Fuller's agenda these days. More than 5,000 adults, such as the elderly and people with mental illness, are victims of neglect and abuse in Alabama. Fuller says that's a conservative estimate for social workers to tackle a problem dealing with what he calls "Alabama's other children." Improving how the state deals with adults in need is as important as the 6,000 children in foster care, he said. Fuller said there's a financial and legal incentive for improving care for adults, citing a 1988 case in which DHR was sued for not ensuring children with special needs were adequately provided when they were placed in the foster-care system. [continues 290 words]
Auburn University's Libertarians encountered difficulty last Thursday when Loretta Nall, president of the U.S. Marijuana Party, was unable to speak on campus due to a personal scheduling conflict. The subject up for discussion at the event was the war on drugs in America and the legalization of marijuana movement. Despite the dilemma, about 60 people turned out for the event. As the crowd awaited a substitute speaker, Dick Clark, the president of Auburn University's Libertarians and Auburn district chairman for the Libertarian Party of Alabama, spoke about the fundamental beliefs of the Libertarian Party. [continues 338 words]
Alabama Should Have Been Paroling More Offenders All Along It took a fiscal crisis to make it happen, but Alabama is on the verge of dealing with criminals in a logical manner. A new four-member panel has doubled the state's ability to hold hearings on whether to release nonviolent offenders. The idea is that prison beds should be reserved for those who offer a clear and present danger to society. The new panel won't accomplish that totally. Alabama, after all, has tried to hold twice the number of inmates that its prison system can safely hold. But it's a major first step in aligning common sense with rehabilitation and public protection. [continues 262 words]
Notices of inmates who are up for parole or who have already been released have started flowing into the offices of local law enforcement officials. Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May is not particularly happy about it. "It's not fair to the people of this county," May said. His office is receiving 25-35 notices each month, he said. "I got six hearing notices this morning," May said Wednesday. "I've noticed a drastic increase in the number of parole notices and parole hearings we're receiving." [continues 483 words]
ATHENS - The mother of an Athens police informant shot to death last year is suing police officials. A grand jury indicted John David Brown, 32, of 217971 Elkton Road, for murder in the shooting death of his roommate, Anthony "Tony" McLemore, 31, on Aug. 20, 2002. A trial date is not set. McLemore's mother, Sylvia Vaughn, alleges in a civil rights lawsuit filed Nov. 13 in U.S. District Court that her son's death was due to indifference by the Athens Police Department. [continues 442 words]
15 Prisoners OK'd By New Parole Panel MONTGOMERY - Thanks to Alabama's bulging prisons and bleeding budget, a few drug addicts and thieves are on their way home early. A second panel of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles met for the first time Monday, approving 15 prisoners for parole. The board denied 24 prisoners and continued one hearing. Those approved include a man with a math degree who tutored fellow inmates toward their high school equivalency diplomas, a father of three who got entangled with drugs after his wife died in a car accident and a 29-year-old prisoner whose mother wished the board a Merry Christmas. [continues 852 words]
The very same federal Drug Enforcement Agency that has repeatedly failed to slow the flow of illegal cocaine from abroad is now waging -- with help from its state partners -- an alarmingly successful war against legal prescription drugs here at home. Problem is, the tactics used to keep these drugs off the black market have a nasty side-effect: Many terrified hometown physicians no longer give 15 million Americans struggling with chronic pain the medicines they need. In 2002, according to Dr. Joel Hochman, director of the National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain, the DEA investigated 622 physicians and brought charges against 586. In 426 cases, medical licenses were revoked "for cause." [continues 679 words]
Metal Detectors, Canines To Return For 'Safety' Issues Metal detectors and drug-sniffing dogs will soon be back at some Birmingham schools. Interim Superintendent Wayman Shiver Jr. has told Birmingham school board members that he intends to soon reinstitute the routine use of detectors and search dogs at primarily the city's high and middle schools. Shiver did not elaborate on why he wants to step up security measures other than to say he has become increasingly concerned about safety issues and the behavior of students. [continues 286 words]
Millions of dollars forfeited by drug suspects have helped Alabama law enforcement agencies purchase equipment and deal with budget cuts. State and federal laws, along with U.S. Justice Department guidelines, strictly outline when money can be seized, how it must be handled, and finally distributed. In October 2002, Alabama State Troopers seized $1.3 million that a woman was transporting in a van on Interstate 20/59 through Tuscaloosa County near the Greene County line. The woman was not charged with a crime, but the troopers took 150 pounds of bills bundled in cellophane and hidden in her vehicle. [continues 382 words]
State, Federal Laws Regulate Money Seizure TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Millions of dollars forfeited by drug suspects have helped Alabama law enforcement agencies purchase equipment and deal with budget cuts. State and federal laws, along with U.S. Justice Department guidelines, strictly outline when money can be seized, how it must be handled, and finally distributed. In October 2002, Alabama state troopers seized $1.3 million that a woman was transporting in a van on Interstate 20/59 through Tuscaloosa County near the Greene County line. The woman was not charged with a crime, but the troopers took 150 pounds of bills bundled in cellophane hidden in her van. [continues 507 words]
The Shelby County commission voted unanimously Monday night to oppose a methadone clinic proposed for Calera. A letter expressing their opposition to a Certificate Of Need will be filed with the State Health Planning and Development Agency, which controls what health services can be offered and where. "I am unalterably opposed to the substitution of one substance abuse for another," said Commissioner Earl Cunningham, sworn in before Monday's meeting. Cunningham cited the Dec. 8 deadline for submitting formal opposition to the state agency as a reason for urgency. The commissioners also received a letter from Sheriff Chris Curry opposing the clinic. [continues 204 words]
Inside Alabama
