THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601240144
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Citizens soon will have a new way to help deal with crime in Chesapeake.
City Council now is looking for volunteers to serve on a Community Criminal Justice Board.
The 15-member board, which also will include representatives from the courts and the police and sheriff's departments, will scrutinize programs that allow some criminals to pay penance without going to jail. Offenders, for example, sometimes are allowed to do community service projects or work to pay restitution rather than spending time behind bars.
The board will decide which programs deter or punish crime and which ones don't. The board also will look for new strategies for handling crime and criminals in Chesapeake.
Overall, said Ann R. Lambert, director of the Chesapeake Community Corrections Program, the board will determine ``what we need to do to reduce crime, address crime, eliminate crime.''
The General Assembly's Comprehensive Community Corrections Act, passed last year, requires localities like Chesapeake to form the criminal justice boards.
The idea is to get citizens more involved in solutions for crime in their communities.
In addition to finding alternatives to jail time for criminals, the board also will help Lambert oversee a new ``pre-trial'' program for people who are charged with crimes.
Depending on the alleged crimes and the background of the suspect, Lambert and her staff will recommend to judges that they be released without having to post money for bail. Lambert and her staff then will supervise them and make sure they show up for court.
The program will ensure that low-income defendants don't get stuck in jail waiting for a trial to determine their guilt or innocence.
Lambert said she is looking forward to the formation of the new board to help her with the pre-trial program.
``I think it's a wonderful concept to have citizens involved,'' she said.
People interested in applying to be on the board should call the city clerk's office, 547-6151. Applications must be received by Feb. 1.
City Council is scheduled to appoint the citizen members of the board on Feb. 27.
KEYWORDS: COMMUNITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE BOARD CHESAPEAKE CITY COUNCIL by CNB