Pubdate: Fri, 24 May 2002
Source: Courier, The (LA)
Copyright: 2002 Houma Today
Contact:  http://www.houmatoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1477
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

PRISON NOT BEST RESPONSE FOR SOME CRIMES

The Issue: Terrebonne's Drug Court.

We suggest: A welcome alternative.

At long last, Terrebonne Parish's legal system has an alternative when 
sentencing nonviolent drug offenders.

Instead of sending them to jail, they can be enrolled in an 18-month 
substance abuse treatment program -- in exchange for a guilty plea and a 
suspended sentence. Housed in our local public hospital - a first, at least 
in Louisiana - the program offers a combination of counseling, drug 
testing, court monitoring as well as the opportunity to obtain a high 
school diploma and job training. Fail the regular drug screening or to meet 
any of the programs' other requirements, and the court's sentence is imposed.

Initially funded with a $498,000 federal grant, it is a welcome addition to 
our community. Drug courts help people to make changes in their lives. 
Instead of being incarcerated for breaking the law, those who illustrate 
genuine desire to make those changes are given the opportunity to fight the 
disease of addiction. And these types of programs work.

Look at a neighboring parish, for example. Since its inception three years 
ago, the Lafourche Parish Drug Treatment Court has treated 181 people, with 
63 of them successfully graduating from the program; another 74 are now 
actively engaged in it. While about 40 people have dropped out of the 
difficult program, its low recidivism rate cannot be ignored. Only one of 
the 63 graduates has been convicted again on a drug charge. While that 
number is likely to rise as the program ages, the average national 
recidivism rate for offenders who seek treatment through a drug court has a 
range of up to 20 percent. Compare it to the average national recidivism 
rate of 68 percent for people whose cases are handled through the 
traditional court system and it's easy to see the potential for such a 
program to help people.

Although it has taken a long time for this program to be realized in 
Terrebonne Parish (even longer since we expected it to come online last 
fall, as authorities initially indicated), we look forward to the positive 
impact it can make in people's lives.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom