Pubdate: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 Source: Natchez Democrat, The (MS) Copyright: 2004 Natchez Newspapers Inc. Contact: http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2205 Author: JESSICA WALDON PARISH KICKS OFF DRUG COURT VIDALIA, La. -- In Louisiana, where you'll find drug courts mostly in urban areas, the Seventh Judicial District Court has started the state's first rural juvenile drug court. Starting with a $7,500 grant from the Rapides Foundation to travel to other courts around the state and to conferences for training, the drug court was in the planning stages in December, said District Judge Kathy Johnson. In court Friday, Johnson heard many truancy cases, the beginning of the drug court process in Concordia Parish. The drug court will be funded by the Louisiana Supreme Court through the end of June. Johnson said the drug court will target students who are truant, a situation usually caused by drugs or alcohol, she said. The court also will target students with behavior problems. "Placing someone in our drug court will not necessarily mean they are drug dependent but that they have done something with drugs," said Keith Baker, a licensed clinical social worker who is working with Johnson and is currently employed at the parish's correctional facility. "Eighty-five percent of all people incarcerated are because of drugs or alcohol," Baker said. The theory behind juvenile drug court is to catch such problems early, he said. Once a juvenile fails a drug test, he enters the drug court and is placed in a treatment plan tailored just for him. Treatment may last three or four or even six months. The juvenile will receive counseling and will be assigned a probation officer to make sure the student follows the court's orders. There will be a curfew in place for each juvenile as well as random drug screenings. The probation officer will make sure the student is going to school, meeting curfew, getting treatment and complying with court orders. Juveniles will report to court every other week for updates on their progress. There will be positive -- and negative -- sanctions for obeying - -- or disobeying -- court orders, Johnson said. Families will be involved in the court appearances as well as in counseling. For any juveniles sentenced to an overnight stay, the Concordia Parish Sheriff's Office is building a probation revocation center that will have two beds to service juveniles, but it will not be built and operational for a while. Now, juveniles must go to facilities in Coushatta or St. James. Johnson asked the school board and Superintendent Kerry Laster in December to start a committee to work with the court on issues of truancy, behavioral problems and drug use. Laster said the committee will serve as a liaison between the court and schools. Johnson hopes the committee can help the court identify students with truancy and behavior problems. "They can help us and we can help them," Johnson said. If students are caught with drugs at school, it means an automatic two-year expulsion under Louisiana law. However, if the parish has a drug court in place, the student can be put in the alternative school and go to drug court instead of missing two years of school. Laster worked to put together a committee consisting of 12 people from the schools, central office staff, the school board and the ministerial alliance. Members include: - -Jana Lincecum, assistant principal at Vidalia High School. - -Dorothy Parker, principal at Ferriday Junior High School. - -Mary Tarver, district supervisor of special populations. - -Valencia Hall. - -Clarence Hymon, district coordinator of drug-free schools program. - -Howard Jackson, district supervisor for child welfare and attendance. - -The Rev. Johnnie Brown, minister and school board member. - -The Rev. Eugene Williams of the ministerial alliance. - -Martha Rabb, school board member. - -Brenda Moore, assistant principal of Ferriday Upper Elementary School. - -Laster. Drug court personnel will go into schools to teach students about the effect of drugs. The approach will be different than that of the DARE program in that it will target older students. DARE works to reach younger students. Johnson and Baker said the court will have equipment to do brain scans that can be used to teach students the effects of drugs on the brain, comparing a brain of a drug user to a non-drug user. "You know you can talk to them and tell them what it will do," Johnson said, but the pictures, she thinks, will get their attention. "The approach is from a factual point of view instead of, say, an emotional point of view," Baker said. Baker said they want inmates in the parish facilities to give testimonials to the juveniles about the consequences of drugs. Baker said in the adult population, 82 percent of criminals are likely to commit a crime again if they are not treated for drug and alcohol dependency. But, with treatment, that goes down to 19 percent. The ultimate goal is not to see the juveniles in court again. Baker and Johnson said they want the community to be aware of the program and to know the drug court can help. Also mentors and other volunteers are needed. Businesses can support the court by giving donations to be used in a reward system to motivate the juveniles to obey court orders. But the main thing the public can do is tell those in need about the court so juveniles can receive treatment to keep them from becoming adult offenders. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart