TERREBONNE DRUG COURT POSSIBLE BY THIS FALL

Terrebonne officials learned this weekend that Houma is one of three
Louisiana communities that will get nearly $500,000 each to create new drug
courts.

The grant, said District Court Judge Johnny Walker, represents the money
local officials needed to establish a drug court here and means that the
specialized court will likely be up and running by the fall.

Drug courts are recent innovations which offer treatment and counseling to
non-violent drug-offenders in lieu of jail sentences.

The alternate courts are something that local judges have wanted for some
time, but have been unable to establish because they didn't have the money
to fund them.

"This is excellent news," Walker said. "We're going to have a drug court."

He hadn't received news that Houma had been awarded the $498,000 U.S.
Justice Department grant, which was announced late Friday afternoon by U.S.
Attorney General John Ashcroft, but said he was looking forward to getting
the much-needed program up and running.

"The need for drug treatment is there," he said, "and we've been seeking
funding to do something."

Terrebonne's drug court has been in the planning stages for the past three
years, Walker said. Local authorities have already used a previously
awarded planning grant to put together a framework for local drug courts
which means that plan can be implemented as soon as the money is deposited
in the 32nd District Court coffers.

But until he receives formal notification, Walker said, he's not sure what
strings will be attached to the money.

Walker said his best guess is that the grant will be paid over the next two
years and that the first payments will be here within 90 days.

Walker said it's too early to determine the level of service that local
officials will be able to provide with the money, but foresees a system in
which authorities are able to offer substance abuse counseling and
treatment instead of jail time.

"We've been waiting for the numbers to come in and we've already done the
legwork," he said. "Once we know from the federal government in black and
white what they expect from us, we can get moving on this."

Houma, along with Covington and Franklin, got the grants - three of 89
awarded, totaling $30.9 million.

Through those grants, 55 jurisdictions will get $166,000 to $500,000 to
create new drug courts, 20 existing courts will get $31,222 to $300,000,
and 14 tribal jurisdictions will get up to $30,000 to plan drug courts,
Ashcroft announced.

In Louisiana, the 16th Judicial District and Fairview Treatment Center in
Franklin will get $499,216. The 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington
will receive $498,644.