Decriminalizing marijuana has helped Jackson police reprioritize and put their resources into working on violent and property crimes, said De'Keither Stamps, a Jackson councilman.

Stamps, who successfully promoted decriminalization, was one of several panelists who talked about the benefits of decriminalization at a town hall meeting Monday night hosted by Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado.

Jackson's ordinance is expected to save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in its first year alone by reducing the number of people jailed for possession of small amounts of marijuana.

"We looked at what do we want our police officers focused on, and how much do we want our police officers to focus on those things," Stamps said.

Money is saved in manpower as well, since it takes at least two hours to arrest and process a suspect into jail. That time could be betters spent on other things, Stamps said.

"From my standpoint, I want police officers to spend two hours when somebody breaks in my house, trying to find my lawn mower or weed eater than on a user who needs substance abuse counseling and treatment," he said.

More:Councilwoman Delgado wants Hattiesburg to be the next city to decriminalize marijuana

Marijuana is still illegal in Jackson, but possession of 30 grams or less is now a civil violation. A citation is issued and the possessor is sent on his or her way, just like getting a speeding ticket.

"You will still have the penalty of the fine of $100 per occurrence," Stamps said.

Stamps said education and community service are important components of the penalty.

"We have to go out and tell our youth we're not advocating that you use marijuana," Stamps said. "We're not promoting that you use marijuana. What we are saying is 'Let me take you down a different road. Let me get you some counseling.'

"There's a different way than putting you in handcuffs and putting you in a jail cell," he said.

Jennifer Riley Collins, executive director of ACLU of Mississippi, said incarceration for simple possession is costly.

"We continue to waste millions of dollars in the criminal justice system by having police, prosecutors and the courts treat marijuana use like violent crimes," she said. "It is unconscionable for our state and cities to spend taxpayer dollars to arrest, prosecute and crowd the courts and jail people for possession of a small amount of marijuana."

Mississippi law leaves discretion to law enforcement officers to determine the penalty for simple possession, whether a person is arrested or given a citation. Collins said African Americans are more likely to be jailed for marijuana possession than white offenders, bogging down the courts and filling the jails.

"The laws are tremendously unfair," she said. "In the United States, a black person is four times — and one report found six times — more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, despite equal use."

Back Porch Drug Policy Forum leader Christina Dent, a conservative Christian, said she has seen the negative impact incarceration has on children through foster care. She believes decriminalization will keep many parents out of jail and with their children.

"It wasn't until we became a foster family a couple years ago that I began to see our drug laws up close and what they are doing to our families and individuals, and what they are doing to communities," she said. "That really shook me.

"I thought our criminalization laws are supposed to be helping us, but they are harming us."

In addition, research on the issue helped change her way of thinking, she said. Rather than taking a criminal approach, Dent is advocating a health-based approach to drugs, similar to treatment of addiction to alcohol and tobacco.

Dent also learned drug convictions follow a person throughout their lives, making it difficult to get jobs to care for their families, even decades later.

"So conservatives, who love people working and providing for themselves, we're making it harder for people to do that," she said.

Related: Jackson Council reduces penalties for marijuana possession

Children often end up in foster care when parents are incarcerated and families are destabilized for what Dent calls a health issue.

"When you have that on such a broad scale like we have, you affect communities," she said. "You can't destabilize families without affecting your communities."

Community activist Greg Prine said criminalizing drug use is government interference, which infringes on a person's civil rights.

"More harm comes from prohibition than anything else there is," he said. "Adults can take care of themselves."

Prine, a conservative, said gun possession isn't illegal, yet guns kill people. Marijuana is a plant. It doesn't kill people, yet a person can go to prison "for having a flower in his pocket."

"We trust the adult to have a gun and not kill somebody," he said. "If they do kill somebody, we punish them.

"Arrest people for crimes. Drug addiction is not a crime."

Several dozen residents, including nurses, teachers and veterans, attended the meeting. Some came to listen, while others voiced their support for decriminalization.

James Moore, whose son Jeffrey died of a heroin overdose in 2015, said he would support decriminalization.

"My thinking has changed a lot on drugs after watching my son go through his 10-year addiction to drugs and the outcome of that," he said. "I would go out on the street and buy pot for my son every day for the rest of his life if I had that choice compared to what he eventually had to turn to because of the circumstances that were here."

Moore commended Delgado, saying considering such a measure is courageous. He thanked Mayor Toby Barker for attending the meeting to hear what panelists and residents had to say.

Raylawni Branch said she could support decriminalization, but was concerned about health and safety issues.

"I'm all for decriminalization, but I don't want someone else's freedoms to impinge on my safety," she said.

What is decriminalization?

Marijuana would still be illegal to possess or sell, but in small amounts — 1 ounce or less — the penalty for possession would be a fine, similar to getting a speeding ticket. There would be no jail time or permanent criminal record attached to the violation.