DRUG COURT PROVIDES 2ND CHANCE

Monday was Family Day for drug court clients, which meant bringing family
members to their counseling session. It also meant eating crawfish
etouffee, boudin and pasta for breakfast.

"This was their choice, not mine," Elois Teno said, laughing. "I've got
some chefs in the group, and they didn't want Danish pastry and a fruit plate."

Elois is a counselor for Family Service of Greater New Orleans, a private
nonprofit United Way organization that provides counseling for men and
women who end up in the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court's Drug
Treatment Court.

The yearlong program offers intensive probation instead of jail time to
offenders who commit nonviolent crimes because of substance abuse addiction.

The event was designed to help family members and friends understand what
their loved ones are going through and to involve them in supporting their
recovery.

"Our clients really want to make a change in their lives," Elois
said.Staying clean

In addition to attending several counseling sessions every week, clients
must meet with their judge, parole officer and case manager, and take a
weekly drug test.

The clients I met Monday morning were feeling optimistic about their
chances for success.

Walter, 52, is a lawyer. He passed the bar in 1980 and got suspended in
August because of his drug habit.

He started using cocaine four years ago, when his marriage broke up. At
first it was just once a month. Then last year, it was whenever he had
money left over after paying his bills.

"You're fooling yourself if you've got $30 in your pocket, and you tell
yourself you're only going to spend $10 on drugs," he said.

Now, he goes to his counseling sessions and his drug tests, stays clean,
and prays to get back into the courtroom.

"It's all I ever wanted to do, and I'm good at it," he said.

Saving Lives

Londi, 29, started taking downers when she was 14, so she could forget the
abuse she suffered during her childhood. She spent a lot of years sedating
herself and was arrested during a simple burglary.

"I was under the influence of Valium, and it seemed like a dream," she said.

She lost custody of her children for five years because of her addiction.

"I didn't know how to eat breakfast sober or brush my hair sober or take
care of my kids sober," she said.

Now, she has her children back, and she knows how to take care of kids sober.

"They know where their mama came from, and they know about addiction," she
said. "Pretty much, drug court saved my life."

And that's what it's all about.

"It's the difference between putting someone in jail and helping them get
their life back," said Janie Beers, director of the drug treatment program.
"It saves the person, it saves their family, and it helps the community."