Pitches regarding criminal offenders were among items heard by the Warren County Board of Supervisors Thursday.

Bill Saint Sing of MPE Employee Benefit Services Inc. offered a pilot program to reduce the cost of health-care services for those held in the Warren County Jail .

The county’s trio of justice court judges then suggested a plan to allow those who can’t pay fines to work them off.

Sing said his company would approach hospitals, doctors and providers of prescription medications and negotiate discounted prices because, he said, the one-month pilot would involve multiple counties.

When in full operation, counties contracting for the plan would pay the company a flat fee per inmate per month, providing the county, in effect “insurance” or predictable costs.

County Administrator John Smith said the county now spends between $100,000 and $150,000 a year for inmate health services through contracts and a fee-for-service approach.

In the related matter, Justice Court judges Richard Bradford III and Edwin Woods Jr. and County Prosecutor Ricky Johnson said a trusty program through justice court would allow some misdemeanor offenders to work off fines, assessments and court costs.

Woods said the program would provide the justice court judges a tool, other than jail, when a person convicted of a minor offense cannot pay the fines that would be assessed.

“The public has been crying for this,” commented District 5 Supervisor Richard George. “I’ve had as many complaints about the prisoners sitting in the jail and the sheriff not utilizing that work force as I have about anything that we do.”

Under the plan, a defendant would have to sign a form, agreeing to volunteer work when sentenced. He would then work off the money he owes at the rate of $5.15 per hour, the federal minimum wage.

“We’re not talking about violent offenders,” Woods said.

He also said the judges would need input from Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace or others at the Warren County Sheriff’s Department on the background of potential participants to determine if they are suitable candidates.

“It’s a good idea and let’s put a good idea into motion,” said District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon urging that a definite date be set.

The judges also showed supervisors an order they are proposing to help solve a problem the court is having in trying traffic citation cases.

Among the problems the order addresses are officers not getting the citations to the court before the return date on the citation and the possibility of a person receiving a ticket having his driver’s license suspended without having a hearing before a judge.

A third topic covered by Bradford and Woods involved complaints they have been receiving from people who have business with the court being treated rudely by employees in the justice court clerk’s office. The matter was brought to supervisors’ attention because the justice court clerk and the other employees are directly hired and supervised by the board. No action was taken.

In a final matter, supervisors agreed to review a dispute regarding Paw Paw Island Road.

Attorney Wren C. Way, representing Paw Paw Island Land Co., told supervisors his clients are having a problem with Issaquena Warren Land LLC which owns land between Mississippi 465 and Paw Paw Island.

Way said a gate has been erected. George said when the county changed from the beat system to the unit system in the 1980s, the county officially adopted Paw Paw Road as a county road that is 0.6 mile long. Because of a gate erected by mutual agreement among landowners at the time, the county only maintains 0.13 mile of the road while retaining title to the remaining 0.47 mile of road.

The board promised to look into the situation to see if the building permit required has been obtained, if any of the flood plain regulations have been violated and if the county’s right of way has been encroached.