Scottsboro, Alabama December 21, 2017 The Continuing Saga of Court Referral - Alleged Procedural Failures in the Drug Testing Program - Pitfalls of Substance Abuse, Hardships on Family. Protest on The Jackson county Courthouse Square

The Continuing Saga of Court Referral - Protest on The Square - Family Hardships -Alleged Procedural Failures Relating to Urine Collection for Testing 

(photos by G. Morgan)

All articles regarding this issue:    https://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/Jackson%20County%20Community%20Corrections%20and%20Court%20Referral

Family members of Court Referral clients tell stories of hardship to Jackson County Sentinel Reporter Will Whaley (Photo by G. Morgan)

Family members 'Protest signs' claim Court Referral places extreme hardships on families, forcing some into homelessness and going without food. (Photo by G. Morgan)

One lady related that a person had been placed on color code drug testing because a poor citizen did not have the money to pay for garbage collection in the county.

Allegations were made that Court Referral personnel had solicited for a "special treatment program" where clients would be placed into the program on Lookout Mountain when Court Referral personnel would be paid $1500.00. Allegations were also made regarding failed procedural/legal requirements in the security of urine specimen collection, transport and testing.

Hardships include being placed into extreme indebtedness, claims family members assisting in paying relatives fines. (Photo by G. Morgan)

VIDEO INTERVIEWS

One of my Facebook friends, Kim Rice, ask me what do I think is the perfect solution to problems at CR/CC, Court Referral Community Corrections, below is my answer and my reply to her question on Facebook.

Thanks for asking Kim.  A comprehensive Medical Treatment program with long term follow ups is a solution to substance abuse treatment. Perfect solution to a government structured program such as we have locally is not possible; however, there are solutions and programs in conjunction with courts and medical treatment that is better than the current local program.

1) Abolish the non-profit program, the current non-profit status is being abused to hide disclosures which would normally be available under a government sponsored program. Another solution would be to keep the non-profit program but actively recruit funders to provide 90-120 day inpatient treatment with a yearlong follow-up outpatient program. Cost share program - The substance abusers are currently paying for their testing, once released from inpatient care, which should continue.Government agencies, pharmaceutical, alcohol manufacturers and distributors should contribute to funding programs. So should a portion of law enforcement seizures.

2) Follow standards of lawand commonly accepted national protocols and procedures regarding treatment and legal standards described within this link: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-abuse-treatment-criminal-justice-populations/principles Note Principle #3, minimum 90 day inpatient treatment which must have an extended outpatient treatment period, to be effective, normally 1 year.

3) Currently, our current drug testing programs available to CR/CC do not meet Federal Standards. Other words, the current local standards within the Jackson County Courts System do not meet the standards of employment law or DOT testing standards. The folks who fail drug testing may be incarcerated by a legal standard less than employment law or the standard lower than a Commercial Truck Driver drug test. That is wrong. Guidelines may be found at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); there are no SAMHSA certified labs in the state of Alabama. https://www.samhsa.gov/workplace/drug-testing  

The problem with what I am saying is money, money and more money. The current CR program diverts money from clients into the hands of attorneys, court system, managers of the CR/CC non-profit System. More money must be placed into treating the problem medically long term, not enriching program managers, attorneys (which are not patient care providers), drug dealers and government War on Drug Agencies which have proven ineffective. Note this, what kind of medical treatment and follow-up could have been provided with the Trillion Dollars spent on the War on Drugs? Note 1) above.

Jackson County Commission Regular Session, December 18, 2017 - 2 Part Video - Part 1 Public Hearing on County Rd 96 and Drainage Problems, Part 2 Session Agenda

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jackson County Commission Jingle Bells Trail Tree Photo by Jackson County Commission on Facebook, Fair Use for non-profit news reporting and commentary.

AGENDA

Part 1

Jackson County Commission Regular Session, Part 1 of 2. Part 1 being a Public Hearing on returning to the County Road Inventory from the TVA part of County Road 96, adjacent to the former Widows Creek Steam Plant. There were no comments regarding the Public Hearing from the Public or the Commissioners. There were two items related to drainage issues where citizens spoke. The first was Mr. Matthews from Section, Al. regarding drainage and flooding in Section. The second issue was in regards to flooding on CR 531 and CR 737. Discussion ensued, at times heated, between the Wasylow family and a Mr. Campbell, both residents and neighbors in the area.

VIDEO PART 1

PART 2
Jackson County Commission Regular Session - Part 2 of 2 Business Session per Agenda.

VIDEO PART 2

Scottsboro City Council, Triple Session,Regular Session - No Quorum From 12-11-17-Regular Session; Work Session and Regular Sessions December 18, 2017

Scottsboro City Hall (photo by G. Morgan)

AGENDAS

Regular Session Makeup from 12-11-17

WORK SESSION

REGULAR SESSION

VIDEO

Jackson County Commission Regular Session December 11, 2017

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jackson County Courthouse Gazebo, photo by Carol Ann Hancock Cisco - Jackson County Courthouse (Government Building) site on Facebook - Fair Use for non-profit news reporting.

AGENDA

VIDEO

Scottsboro City Council - Liability Insurance for Contractors - and Jackson County Alabama Commission - Homelessness - Work Sessions Agendas and Videos - December 4, 2017

Scottsboro City Hall during Christmas from a few years ago. Photo by G. Morgan

Scottsboro City Council Schedule during the 2017 Holiday time frame: December 11, Regular Council meeting; December 18, a combined meeting, work session followed by a regular meeting. December 18, 2017 will be the last meeting until January 8, 2018

City Council Agenda for December 4, 2017

There was considerable discussion regarding requiring Liability Insurance for all contractors. There seemed to be a problem with some city council members requiring contractors doing business in Scottsboro Alabama having Liability Insurance before doing business in Scottsboro. 

Their argument was this places an undue burden on the contractor performing a job. This is one of the more ridiculous claims I have ever heard from a government entity. Attempting to justify why a business doing contracting work within the City of Scottsboro or the city government entity itself, SHOULD NOT have liability insurance. Some of the council members indicated it was the business or individual hiring the contractor to provide their liability insurance. Would any citizen hire a home building contractor without liability insurance; would a business hire a contractor to perform remodeling, electrical or plumbing work which does not have liability insurance to perform a contracted job?? 

Maybe the City Council has failed to explain themselves regarding NOT requiring a contractor to have liability insurance and how it is not a business friendly requirement. There is no way any person or business should contract another to perform a job without that person or business having required licenses and necessary insurance for their business. 

Lets think about this for a moment, what would have happened if the contractor performing an architecting job for the city did not have the appropriate insurance when city hall collapsed? What would occur if a contracted trucking company performing a job for hauling materials crashed and killed others in the performance of their driving job; "Hey, the City of Scottsboro says we ain't got to have liability insurance." Will the citizens of the City of Scottsboro pick up the damages for exempting contractors within the City of Scottsboro from liability insurance?????????  Just the discussion by the government entity of this absurdity seems to incur risk for the citizens of Scottsboro. 

VIDEO

                             County Commission Work Session

Jackson County Courthouse Winter Scene, photo by J. Holt on Facebook - Fair Use for non-profit news reporting.

AGENDA

Life Resource Services, agenda item 1 - Discussion of homeless folks transportation on County Bus Services. Request for grants or donations to pay for bus tickets for the poor and homeless. Tickets are $5.25 for round trip for persons under the age of 65, while round trip ticket costs for persons over 65 are $4.25. It was stated that most of the trips for the homeless were to and from health care appointments or visits. Discussion about providing funds for 100 tickets from the commission. Information regarding Life Resource Services http://whnt.com/2017/01/16/life-resource-services-brings-a-new-beginning-to-the-homeless-of-jackson-county/ 

Facebook site info - https://www.facebook.com/LIFE.Resource.Services/

VIDEO