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Adult Drug Court Program
The 16th Judicial District Adult Drug Court
first began in St. Mary Parish in 1997 with Judge William
Hunter. The program expanded to Iberia Parish in April of
1998 with Judge Gerard Wattigny. Presently there are 157 clients
involved in the New Iberia drug court program and 176 active
participants in St. Mary. Both Drug Court programs have graduated
a total of 79 participants.
What is Drug Court
"Drug treatment courts" were developed
in Florida in the early 1990s as an alternative to traditional
criminal justice prosecution for drug-related offenses. These
courts combine the close supervision of the judicial process
with resources available through alcohol and drug treatment
services. The goals of drug court are to reduce recidivism
of drug-related offenses and to create options within the
criminal justice system for effective and appropriate responses
to offenders who commit crimes to support their drug habit.
Qualifications
Offenders charged with non-violent misdemeanor
or felony offenses, provided substance abuse is the source
of criminal behavior and or is directly related to substance
abuse.
Prospective clients are evaluated by the
Intake/Probation Officer and then referred to Fairview Outpatient
Treatment Center of New Iberia or Bayou Vista in St. Mary
Parish for the second evaluation.
Once offenders meet the criteria to enter
the program, and the victim is notified, they plead guilty
to their offense and immediately begin intensive outpatient
or inpatient treatment along with intensive probation.
Process
The program is broken up into phases with
each phase requiring the clients to attend treatment sessions.
As they progress through the different phases the amount of
treatment sessions they attend weekly decreases. Throughout
the entire program, clients are required to:
- Take drug and alcohol screens everyday they go to treatment.
- Find employment.
- Attend Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
- Obtain a GED.
- Pay fines and make restitution and not engage in criminal
behavior
Clients meet with the Drug Court judge and
probation officer on a regular basis in order to be evaluated
to determine the clients progress or lack there of so that
incentives and sanctions can be provided by the court. If
the client successfully completes treatment and probation,
charges are dismissed from their record.
Sanctions may include jail and community service;
halfway houses; additional outpatient treatment and any other
activity that the court feels is appropriate to address undesired
behavior. If clients do not successfully complete drug court,
their probation is revoked and they are sentenced by the sentencing
judge.
In connection with the adult Drug Court Program,
the 16th Judicial District Courts and District Attorney's
Office has recently implemented a Juvenile Drug Court Program,
click here for more information on the Juvenile drug court
program.
Drug Court Contact
Rachael J. Huval, Intake/Probation Officer
Courthouse Building, 300 Iberia St., Suite 200
New Iberia, La. 70560
337-369-4420
Anne Marie Adams
Courthouse Building
Franklin, La. 70538
337-828-4100 ext. 117
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