JUVENILE DRUG COURT SHOULD BE OPEN BY OCTOBER

LAFAYETTE - For nearly a fifth of the cost it takes to incarcerate a
juvenile, the 15th Judicial District will begin helping them redirect their
lives.

Through a juvenile drug court program, the district will help prevent teens
from becoming adult criminals, Sen. Don Cravins, D-Arnaudville, said
Thursday.

"In Louisiana, we have the dubious distinction of the highest incarceration
rate - with this program, we're trying to reduce that rate," he said.

On Oct. 14, the district will open the program H.A.L.T. (Halting Addiction
in Lafayette Teens) to juveniles who have already been sentenced by a judge.
Instead of serving time in a correctional center, the juvenile is placed on
probation and must complete an intense therapy program with his or her
family.

"It's been a long time coming," said Judge Thomas Duplantier.

Duplantier and his juvenile drug court planning team met with the community
to discuss the program Thursday night.

Juveniles charged with drug-related offenses or nonviolent crimes with signs
of an addiction may be eligible for the program. One of the reasons for the
program's success is the required family involvement, said Cravins.

"It provides a window for the system to look within the child and the
family," Cravins said. "Hopefully, we can help to save and redirect the
lives of these children."

It costs the state nearly $25,000 to incarcerate a juvenile each year and
only $5,625 per juvenile in the drug court program, said Sonya Barbier,
program coordinator.

But the program isn't a free ride, she said. It involves individual, group
and family therapy, volunteer hours, drug testing, education, and in some
cases employment. The juvenile also meets weekly with Duplantier. When the
juvenile successfully completes each step of the four-phase program, he or
she moves to the next phase until completion.

Duplantier said he hopes to have 30 juveniles and families in the program by
next spring.

Cravins offered his backing and to "find money to expand the program."

Duplantier said parents have already begun calling his office about the
program, but eligibility will be decided by the juvenile division of the
district attorney's office.