TERREBONNE DRUG COURT IMPACTS LIVES

HOUMA -- He started experimenting with alcohol and drugs at 13.

By the time he reached adulthood, the 28-year-old Thibodaux man was
addicted to cocaine and alcohol and had been in trouble with the law more
times than he could count.

"I started with beer, went to weed, and it grew from there," he said.

The man's drug addiction made school a struggle, and he finally dropped out
during his senior year at the age of 21.

His life, he admits now, was in a downward spiral, and he had no hope for a
successful future.

Then he was arrested for cocaine possession.

Faced with the prospect of 10 years in prison, the man, whose identity is
being withheld by The Courier, grasped at the only straw he had left. He
signed up for Terrebonne Parish Drug Court -- a program that diverts
nonviolent offenders with drug problems from the traditional court system
into one geared toward treating the drug problem that landed them in
trouble in the first place.

"If it weren't for this place, I would be in the grave or in prison," the
man said minutes after he was recognized for successfully completing nine
months of the demanding program.

Now sober and healthy, he also successfully completed a six-week
anger-management program and is preparing to take a test to get his
high-school equivalency diploma.

"I wouldn't change this life for nothing, and the other guys say the same
thing," said the married father of six. "I haven't been in trouble for over
three years, and the kids are happy because Daddy comes home at night."

The man is one of 60 clients enrolled in Terrebonne's Drug Court, a program
started nearly a year ago and modeled after others already operating in
Louisiana.

The court is a joint effort between the Terrebonne court system, local law
enforcement, parish government and Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center.

This is the way it works: Nonviolent offenders with a drug or alcohol
problem enter a guilty plea prior to entering the confidential program.

They then have to complete the rigorous four-phase program, which can take
anywhere from 18 months to three years to complete, to avoid serving the
prison sentence that accompanied the guilty plea.

Once accepted, clients must undergo drug counseling, submit to random drug
tests and periodically appear before state District Judge Johnny Walker to
have their progress checked.

EARLY RESULTS Not enough time has elapsed for any of the program's clients
to complete all four phases, although two entered Phase 3 last week. But
local officials say the program seems to be paying off.

"The No. 1 problem we have in the criminal-justice system is that drug
addicts go into the system, serve their time and, once they come out, go
right back on the street to the same type of activities that got them into
trouble in the first place," said Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Joe
Waitz Jr.

"When they complete this program, they are working, productive people who
are no longer drug-addicted," he said. "We've helped address the problem
instead of just punishing them for having it."

The first drug court was developed in Dade County, Fla., in 1989. Today,
about 1,000 operate nationwide. Louisiana's first drug court was
established in 1997; the state now has 30.

Terrebonne's Drug Court was in the planning stages for three years prior to
being founded in May 2002.

It's still early in the game, but Walker said he has already seen some success.

'POSITIVE CHANGES' "This program is really making positive changes in some
of their lives," he said. "And it is very exciting for us.

"This is one of the few opportunities we in the legal community have had to
help change individuals. . "And while the participants have different
degrees of success, I think all of them, in some way, shape or form have
benefited."

The program, housed in a mobile home on Chabert Medical Center's lawn, has
already exceeded expectations in terms of the number of people interested
in seeking help.

"We hoped for 40 in our first year; I would have called that a huge
success," said Drug Court Coordinator Danny Smith. "This is a level of
success we never could have imagined."

Drug Court officials are looking toward expansion. They hope to have 150
clients by the end of their second year if they can secure the money and
space to treat that many.

It costs $4,500 a year to treat a Drug Court client, Smith said. Patients
who are able pay $150 a month to offset the costs; federal and state money
helps finance the rest.

In addition to boosting enrollment, officials also hope to add a family
therapist this year to help families adjust to the ups and downs that come
with treating drug addiction.

NO EASY WAY OUT The program, officials said, has not been the answer for
everyone who has walked through their doors. Six clients have opted to
serve their prison time rather than complete the program.

"When they come into the program, a lot of them think, deep down inside,
that this is an easy way out of prison," Smith said. "Once they get in,
many of them think prison might be easier."

Clients must sincerely be ready to live a clean and sober life to be
successful, he said.

Even those who do want change their lifestyles sometimes slip. The penalty
for doing so means a short stint in the parish jail -- anywhere from one to
90 days.

Eighteen clients went to jail last week for violating rules. The
infractions ranged from visiting local barrooms to not attending required
meetings.

'I'M PROUD OF ME' "We don't want them in those kinds of places; the judge
tells them all the time to beware of people, places and things," Smith
said. "We don't want them taking baby steps."

The Thibodaux man said he had been sober 22 months when he slipped up and
got drunk. The 48-hours he spent in jail for the infraction was what
finally got his attention and persuaded him to change.

"That's what did it," he said. "Knowing there were consequences, that if I
didn't do right, I would be facing 10 years in state prison."

Now six months sober, he said he finally understands that he can't be
successful and happy and be drug-addicted.

"They saved my life," he said. "Every friend I got said there was no way I
was going to make it through Drug Court, but I am. And I'm proud of me."