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Update January 29: The Post and Courier is reporting that eight people recently arrested with cocaine charges are utilizing the second-chance program.

All are said to have "little or no" criminal history prior to this; take a read of the paper's report here.

First reporting January 21: A new program called STAND (Stop and Take A New Direction) is being implemented in North Charleston's Charleston Farms neighborhood in hopes of guiding entry-level drug dealers into a jobs program instead of jail.

Small time dealers nabbed by the police will be given the opportunity to avoid prosecution if they take part in a jobs and betterment program. The choice will be offered to them at a meeting where they will be asked to choose between incarceration or self betterment.

The Post and Courier has a lengthy yet informative post on the new initiative; read it here.