Jackson Free Press

Mississippi received a $647,461 federal grant aimed at reducing recidivism by addressing untreated co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders in offenders under community supervision.

The Departments of Corrections and Mental Health will partner up to administer the program. The Second Chance Act Reentry Program for Adults with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Disorders will start on Oct. 1 and run for three years.

“Our state is in dire need of programs that can offer ex-offenders a full continuum of integrated care that will improve their functioning and outcomes when they return to their communities,” MDOC Commissioner Marshall Fisher said in a press release. “Therefore, when the Department of Mental Health approached me about supporting its efforts to get this grant, I didn’t hesitate.”

There are 3,194 inmates receiving ongoing mental health treatment and about 15,000 have self-reported abusing alcohol and drugs, a press release from both departments said.

“We believe individuals with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders represent a group of people who have been under-identified and may have had difficulties accessing the services they need,” DMH Executive Director Diana Mikula said in a press release. “The Mississippi Second Chance Act Reentry Program will work to identify these needs and get people the services that can help them begin their recovery process.”

The grant allows the two departments to improve identification of inmates with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, provide training to staff, integrate individualized treatment plans and track participant outcomes.

The departments will use mental health assessments to determine individuals’ needs and collaborate to develop re-entry plans, including pre- and post-release treatment. Those treatment services will include cognitive-behavioral therapy, crisis intervention, and recovery support services such as housing, vocational, and educational services.

The program will start focusing on non-violent offenders returning to Hinds County. Current plans are to serve 90 individuals during the three-year pilot program in order to develop a program model that can be replicated statewide with the receipt of additional federal grant funding, the press release says. The program will require people under community supervision to participate in a minimum number of intensive outpatient therapeutic hours, based on their individual recidivism risk level.

“Through our collaboration with the Department of Corrections, we know there are a number of eligible individuals right here in Hinds County,” Mikula said in the press release. “We will be collaborating and using existing resources in the state mental health system to get these Mississippians the treatment and support services they need. I know that with all of us working together, we can create a better tomorrow for the people of our state.”

Verbatim Statement:

FBI Director James B. Comey has named Christopher Freeze as the Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson Division. Mr. Freeze most recently served as a Section Chief of the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters.

Current Jackson Division Special Agent in Charge Donald Alway has been named Deputy Assistant Director of Training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. Mr. Alway has been Special Agent in Charge in Jackson for more than two years.

Mr. Freeze entered on duty with the FBI in 1996. He was first assigned to the Richmond Division, where he worked public corruption, computer fraud, and financial institution fraud cases.

Throughout his career, Mr. Freeze has held leadership positions in the Houston Division and the Counterterrorism Division, and has worked extensively with the United States Intelligence Community. Mr. Freeze is a certified firearms instructor, and he has served as a member of the SWAT and Evidence Response Teams.

Mr. Freeze will assume this new role at the end of November.

If you missed yesterday’s post on Marc Rowe’s Adidas Crossroads of the South basketball camp, be sure to check it out here. That post detailed the morning activities from the camp, which was at Ridgeland High School.

The camp is no stranger to having some of the biggest high-school prospects from Mississippi in attendance. Former camp participants include Mario Kegler, Rodney Hood, Damian Jones, Tyson Carter and the current top recruit in Mississippi, Nick Weatherspoon.

Big names were on display Saturday, Sept 24, at the camp, with players such as Javian Fleming from Canton High School, Ladarius Marshall from Forest Hill High School, Michael Barber of Jackson Academy and Brandon Weatherspoon of Velma Jackson High School in attendance.

The biggest prospect in attendance happened to be Robert Woodard, who is a junior from Columbus High School. He looked like the stud everyone had talked about all morning long when the games began that afternoon.

Woodard plays as impressive as he looks with his 6-foot, 7-inch frame. During the testing period, he posted a 28.1-inch vertical, a 10.85-second shuttle and 4.06-second full-court dribble.

Woodard said he came to the camp because “of the good competition and a great way to get better,” and, he said, “Being here (at the camp) is better than just sitting at home.”

Last season he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds per game. As good as his game is—and it is only going to get better—Woodard still has plenty to learn.

Learning defensive principles and getting taught more about help side defense is something Woodard said was the biggest thing he learned he could use to help his game this season. But learning to be a better defender will not be the news that guards and forwards wanted to hear about him.

Plenty of teams are already recruiting him, with offers from Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, Baylor University, Iowa State University, Stanford University, the University of Alabama, Florida State University and the University of Tennessee.

Woodard is just as good in the classroom as he is on the court, with Stanford making a push to sign him. With the school’s admission standards, his grades have to be great to get the Cardinals’ attention.

As far as recruiting is going, Woodard says he is enjoying it. The forward currently hopes to study physical therapy in college.

One of the biggest up-and-coming players in the state is West Point High School star Austin Crowley. The 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore guard came to the camp to play with Woodard, who is his good friend.

Crowley was solid during the morning tests, with a 28.2-inch vertical, a 10.35-second shuttle and a 4.19-second full-court dribble. Last season, he averaged 14 points a game, four rebounds and six assists.

“I came into this camp with a target on my back as one of the top players, and everyone has wanted to test themselves against me,” Crowley said. “I …

When the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina, a punt block turned around that first game against the Atlanta Falcons. Flash-forward to 10 years later, and a punt has changed the fortunes of those two teams again.

During their matchup on Monday, Sept. 26, New Orleans was leading 7-0 in the first quarter when an injury-decimated defense forced Atlanta into a quick punt on the Falcons opening drive. When the Falcons punted, Saints players De’Vante Harris and Tommylee Lewis crashed into each other.

Players colliding into each other looks bad enough, but the problem compounded when Harris tried to grab the ball and return it. Several Falcons ended up hitting Harris causing him to fumble.

Atlanta recovered and tied the game at 7-7 three plays later, taking all momentum away from New Orleans. The Superdome went from rocking and ruckus to nearly silent in just a couple of minutes.

New Orleans’ next drive was three straight incomplete passes, followed with a punt. Atlanta went on an 11-play, 74-yard drive to go up 14-7. The Saints answered back with a 12-play drive for a touchdown to tie the game at 14-14 but never tied or led in the game again.

The first half ended with Atlanta outscoring New Orleans 14-3 to lead 28-17 at the half. Atlanta opened the third quarter with a touchdown drive, but the Saints answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion to bring the score to 35-25.

Atlanta would add a field goal on its next drive to go up 38-25 late in the third quarter. New Orleans drove to the Falcons 11 yard line with a solid shot at getting at least a field goal, but a touchdown would have made the final 15 minutes very interesting.

Instead, on first down and 10 yards, Falcons linebacker Deion Jones tipped and picked off quarterback Drew Brees’ intended pass to rookie Mike Thomas, taking the interception 90 yards to essentially put the game out of reach.

Brees put up respectable numbers, going 36 for 54 passing for 376 yards with three touchdowns. But if you happened to watch the game, several of his passes wobbled down the field, and several more were low throws when they didn’t have to be thrown low.

The Saints’ defense struggled again and couldn’t stop the run or cover the Falcons’ receivers most of the night. Two of the biggest plays in the game were fourth-down conversions for Atlanta, both ending with the Falcons scoring touchdowns.

The first fourth-down conversion gave the Falcons a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter and took more momentum from New Orleans. Atlanta’s drive to start the second half also featured a fourth-down conversion that gave the Falcons a 35-17 lead.

New Orleans’ defense is missing several players, including cornerbacks Delvin Breaux, Damian Swann and P.J. Williams, safety Kenny Vaccaro, linebackers Dannell Ellerbe and Hau’oli Kikaha, and defensive tackles …