ST. LANDRY DRUG COURT TO BE ANNOUNCED

The Louisiana Supreme Court has agreed to fund a drug court for St. Landry
Parish.

According to Drug Court Coordinator Pam Bollich, the four judges with the
27th Judicial District Court in Opelousas made the request of the Supreme
Court to open a drug court in St. Landry Parish. Bollich supplied a budget,
and the Court agreed to foot the bill of $4,500 per person.

"Right now," Bollich said, "we have 30 clients."

Bollich said she noticed the effectiveness of drug court in New Iberia, and
knew that the judges of the 27th District had expressed interest in
establishing a court for St. Landry Parish. She worked with the judges and
prepared a budget and submitted it to the Supreme Court.

"They told us we would be funded two weeks ago," she said, "but we'll make
the official announcement Friday."

Drug court is an alternative program to more traditional jail time for drug
offenses. It is designed to give drug and alcohol treatment to people
arrested for non-violent drug arrests, according to Bollich. Unlike jail
time, drug court focuses on the person's problem, attempts to help get the
violator off drugs, and provides avenues to family education, anger
management, job training, and life skills training.

"They have to plead guilty," Bollich said, "which will place them on
probation with the court, instead of incarcerating them. They will live at
home, undergo treatment and be subjected to weekly and random drug
screenings. Their treatment will be in three phases. Phase One lasts eight
months. Phase Two lasts three to six months, and Phase Three lasts two to
three months. There will be an after-care program as well."

Drug law violations can be referred to the program by the district
attorney, a judge or a police officer, Bollich said.

Violators must see the judge every week for progress reports, and could
have sanctions imposed against them for non-compliance, or be thrown back
into the prison system. They get sanctions or the boot if they test
positive for drugs; if they are late to or miss meetings, if they do not
pay their probation fees, or if there is a new arrest. Assisting violators
on their road to good health, according to Bollich, are probation officers,
case managers and counselors.

"They have several chances to get straight," Bollich said.

The team of professionals who will make up the drug court are: 27th
District Court Judges Alonzo Harris, James Genovese, Frank Mc Gee, Donald
Hebert; District Attorney Earl Taylor, Probation Officer Norman Coldine,
Opelousas defense attorney Ed Lopez, Bollich and the drug treatment company
Handsel Inc.

A news conference will be held in the lobby of the parish courthouse at
11:45 a.m. Friday.