Page 71 - ThePhoenix1982-83

MardI 3, 1983 Page 3 Community Service Program a success let the drunk driver, vandal, vlcted of a violent offense - by an assigned due date, or if over $144,000 worth of labor an alternativesentencing pro- marijuana user, thief, and such as rape, murder, armed they are unreliable or uncoop- to the community,when those gram, Ms. Price noted. speeder beware! robbery - can be assigned erative, they are dismissed hours are calculated at minl- For example, at least 10 of Two years ago the Carroll -to a community service pro- from the program. Then they mum wage value. the offenders were hired for County Courts embarked on a gram. are returned to Court to face In addition, the County has paid jobs at their community progressive new approach to The offenders are inter- violation of probation pro- been spared the cost of well service worksites after finish- the sentencing of criminal and viewed by the VCSP staff to ceedings, and another sen- over $175,000 to incarcerate ing volunteer work. Some traffic offenders. determinetheir criminal back- tence. those who faced jail sen- continue to volunteer tradion- Their work is monitored by ground, skills, job obligation, All but six percent of the tences, according to Ms. ally even after the court obli- the county-funded Volunteer transporation availability, and offenders sucessfully com- Price. gation ends. Others say they Community Service Program family responsibilities. pleted their community serv- So, in strictly monetary have made new friends and (VCSP). The offenders are then re- ice obligations, Ms. Price terms, the Vounteer Commu- developed new skills whle Since October 1980, the ferred to a worksite consid- reports. nity Service Program is a doing the community work. staff has dealt with 860 of· ered appropriate given the So far, 550 offenders have savings since the Countycov- Anyone interested in more fenders, with sentences from crime and personal back- finished their community serv- ernment has only spent $62,- information about VCSP may 5 hours for trespassing to 500 ground. ice assignments. They con- 000 to fund the office to date. call Ms. Price at the Court- hours for robbery and pos- Over 100.non-protit organi- tributed over 43,000 hours. But their are more benefits house Annex in Westminster, session of marijuana. zations and public agencies The offenders have donated to consider when evaluating 857-4606 or 876-7547. The most common types of are CommunityService Work- crimes seen in the VCSP sites. They include the Asso- 25 Dollars; is a keg worth it? caseload are: drunken driv- ciation for Retarded Citizens, ing, theft, bad checks, break- County Roads Department, ing and entering, assult, Recreation Councils, -Chris Beye~ w:~ ~:e~YS~~~ ~~~tio~~ S~~~iV~'~~~h~~~~~il~o~:~ malicious destruction of prop- churches, and Western Mary- unauthonze~ keg~ no~ other than just the dispensing A.A.'s in ROUZerdisagree. "I erty and disorderly conduct. land College. carry a. ma~ l~tOry me 0 of points. The fines were don't think we're that strict," twenty-five a ars, a move suggested said house council member by R.A.'s and Those referred to the VCSP The types of work accom- have' varied backgrounds. plished varies greatly, al- "Parked by.tedhe k'argenumber Head Residents. Since kegs John Ferber,while A.A. Victor t The youngest volunteer was though public works activities a unaut~onz egs on cam- are usually bought to save Culatta said "I have adhered an 8-year-old grade school continue to represent the pus. dUring jan. Te~, t!c- money, fines will increase the to the policy as written." student; the oldest a 68-year- greatest Community Service cordl~g to eanne Ig e,. price of having a keg, thus Ferber, in fact, points to the. old businessman.A fourth of undertaking. The volunteers ~~soc~e d~an of ~tudefntaf- making it more economical to Administrationas a source for the volunteers are under 18 sweep streets, paint curbs airs. e c ange In en or.ce- buy beer in bottles or cans. problems in the point system. years old. and gutters, rake leaves, pull ~ent of t~e rules against Instituted just this year, the "It would work if it were Over half of the offender weeds, and clean public Illegal keg~ ISf~rt of ~hest