Offenders May Be Court Ordered to Help with Storm Damage Clean-Up

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

SLAUGHTERVILLE, Oklahoma -- There's still lots of work to be done to cleanup damage from recent storms. In Cleveland County more help may soon be on the way, thanks to local judges.

Lots of volunteers have pitched in to help with storm relief efforts at the Prairie Creek Village Mobile home park in Slaughterville, but one of the helpers arrived involuntarily.

A Cleveland County judge ordered a juvenile offender to help the nearby Liberty Missionary Baptist Church distribute clothes to storm victims.

"We had several ladies and some men that were doing what they could to sort clothing, and this young man just jumped in and was a great help to us," said Liberty Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Gary Darr.

More court-ordered storm clean-up may be coming to Lake Thunderbird to help clean the shoreline.

The lake superintendent called the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office for assistance.

"I told him I would get with our district judges and see if they couldn't assign some work-release type individuals to help do the cleanup," said Sheriff Joe Lester.

Judges now have storm cleanup as another community service option.

"If it's left up to me, I don't mind. I probably would suggest it. I probably would order it because I think it's a good thing," said Tom Lucas, Cleveland County District Judge.

Pastor Darr believes it was a good experience for the juvenile offender and would love more offenders to help with storm relief.

"He saw these people that were in need, and I think it was a great lesson, a life lesson for this young man," the pastor said.