Opportunities available at Operation Fresh Start

By Amy Moore
The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR July 23, 2008 11:37 pm

— Click play to hear Wednesday's Operation Fresh Start Press Conference:


Criminals looking for redemption will soon have an opportunity to get their lives on track with a ‘fresh start.’
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, several churches and community organizations will host Operation Fresh Start- Safe Surrender at the end of the month to provide people with misdemeanor warrants a chance to turn themselves in.
“The program basically is about (people) getting a fresh start and taking responsibility for their actions, doing the right thing, turning themselves in to law enforcement if they have an active misdemeanor arrest warrant,” Brent Weaver, assistant to Sheriff Mitch Woods said. “Then after their warrant has been dealt with and their judicial situation has been dealt with, we’ve brought in community outreach groups to work with individuals for educational counseling, job assistance and job placement.”
The program has been successful in other areas, even without the community outreach involvement, Weaver said but he hopes that by offering assistance more individuals will participate.
It’s important to note, however, that the program is in no way a “get of jail free card.”
“I stress this is not an amnesty program,” Weaver said during a press conference Wednesday. “Depending on their judicial situation or warrant situation, it may require them to remain in custody and not be eligible for release.”
During the three-day event, if a person surrenders to police the person will be screened for active warrants and transported to the county jail to be booked. If the person meets requirements for release, that person will be released. After being released, they’ll be transported back to the surrender site for assistance.
“Our goal is hopefully they will utilize those services and we won’t see them come back in our jail,” Weaver said.
Tisha Armstead of Port Arthur H.O.P.E. said before people can move on with their lives, they have to take responsibility for their actions.
“Anything that we do in life, it’s accountability. It’s the choices we make and that’s what we talk to our young people about is the choices you make that could affect you in the long run,” she said.
Both Weaver and Armstead stressed that no organization will pay for warrants or bond for individuals who turn themselves in. Nor will child care be provided at the event.
Weaver believes that Operation Fresh Start is a way to have “a successful community re-entry back into society.”
The Sheriff’s Office sees the program as a way to process warrants quicker in a cost-saving manner for both the county and the citizens.
And if people choose not to surrender, Weaver has a message for them.
“Our warrant division will be out looking for you and they will find you and there won’t be any outreach people there at the jail waiting on you. You’ll have to seek that out afterwards on your own when and if you’re released,” he said.
The chance of more Operation Fresh Start - Safe Surrender’s in the area depends on the success of the upcoming event.
Weaver said success will be measured by follow-ups with people who do surrender.
The sheriff’s office sent out 1,100 letters to individuals with misdemeanor warrants in Port Neches, Groves, Nederland and Port Arthur to inform them of and encourage their participation in the program.

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