Pubdate: Thu, 28 Feb 2002
Source: Daily World, The (LA)
Copyright: South Louisiana Publishing 2002
Contact:  http://www.dailyworld.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1740
Author: Alain A de la Villesbret, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

ST. LANDRY DRUG COURT TO BE ANNOUNCED

The Louisiana Supreme Court has agreed to fund a drug court for St. Landry 
Parish.

According to Drug Court Coordinator Pam Bollich, the four judges with the 
27th Judicial District Court in Opelousas made the request of the Supreme 
Court to open a drug court in St. Landry Parish. Bollich supplied a budget, 
and the Court agreed to foot the bill of $4,500 per person.

"Right now," Bollich said, "we have 30 clients."

Bollich said she noticed the effectiveness of drug court in New Iberia, and 
knew that the judges of the 27th District had expressed interest in 
establishing a court for St. Landry Parish. She worked with the judges and 
prepared a budget and submitted it to the Supreme Court.

"They told us we would be funded two weeks ago," she said, "but we'll make 
the official announcement Friday."

Drug court is an alternative program to more traditional jail time for drug 
offenses. It is designed to give drug and alcohol treatment to people 
arrested for non-violent drug arrests, according to Bollich. Unlike jail 
time, drug court focuses on the person's problem, attempts to help get the 
violator off drugs, and provides avenues to family education, anger 
management, job training, and life skills training.

"They have to plead guilty," Bollich said, "which will place them on 
probation with the court, instead of incarcerating them. They will live at 
home, undergo treatment and be subjected to weekly and random drug 
screenings. Their treatment will be in three phases. Phase One lasts eight 
months. Phase Two lasts three to six months, and Phase Three lasts two to 
three months. There will be an after-care program as well."

Drug law violations can be referred to the program by the district 
attorney, a judge or a police officer, Bollich said.

Violators must see the judge every week for progress reports, and could 
have sanctions imposed against them for non-compliance, or be thrown back 
into the prison system. They get sanctions or the boot if they test 
positive for drugs; if they are late to or miss meetings, if they do not 
pay their probation fees, or if there is a new arrest. Assisting violators 
on their road to good health, according to Bollich, are probation officers, 
case managers and counselors.

"They have several chances to get straight," Bollich said.

The team of professionals who will make up the drug court are: 27th 
District Court Judges Alonzo Harris, James Genovese, Frank Mc Gee, Donald 
Hebert; District Attorney Earl Taylor, Probation Officer Norman Coldine, 
Opelousas defense attorney Ed Lopez, Bollich and the drug treatment company 
Handsel Inc.

A news conference will be held in the lobby of the parish courthouse at 
11:45 a.m. Friday.
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