A bipartisan group proposes legislation for the upcoming April session that would greatly expand the drug court program using funds obtained from opioid settlements.
Attorney General Jeff Landry said under the bill all arrestees would be drug tested, and if positive be screened for suitability in the addiction recovery based “drug court” program.
“This process quickly identifies individuals with substance abuse disorders who have become involved in the criminal justice system and hopefully provide early intervention,” said Landry.
The legislation is the result of a bipartisan legislative committee that spent the last year investigating a potential expansion of drug courts. The bill is set to be introduced by Port Allen Senator Rick Ward.
The bill would pump an additional 14 to 15 million dollars a year into the criminal justice system to fund the program. District Court Judge Don Johnson said it would have a three to four times rate of return.
“What we are trying to do is get out of the dichotomy of being tough on crime versus soft on crime. We are trying to be smart, smart on crime,” said Johnson.
Landry said Department of Corrections stats show drug courts had a six percent three-year recidivism rate for 2016 graduates. That’s compared to a 15 percent one-year recidivism rate for the average inmate.
Jennifer Hollahan, a drug court graduate, said the multi-phase, long-term program is more effective than the usual one-month rehab facility stints that fail so many addicts.
“I needed to be in the real world with real consequences, with real accountability, going to group, going to counselors, going to 12 step meetings, and having to show proof of all of that,” said Hollahan.
The legislation would also give local authorities the option to enroll violent offenders in the program if they deem it safe to do so.
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