<h3>Louisiana Specialty Courts: Frequently Asked Questions</h3><p><br /><strong>What is a specialty court?</strong></p><p>Participation in a specialty court program can be an option in lieu of regular probation or jail time for eligible persons. Following referral, screening and assessment, if a person chooses to participate, they can enter the program after pleading guilty to their pending charges. Specialty court programs provide treatment and other services to meet the needs of program participants. These services can include but are not limited to: substance use disorder treatment, mental health treatment, case management, assistance with job placement, housing, and education. In addition to treatment, participants agree to intense supervision, as well as frequent and random drug testing.. Specialty courts target specific groups; for example, drug courts target individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder, mental health courts address the needs of those who are experiencing mental illness, and co-occurring courts serve the needs of those who suffer from both. </p><p>Each specialty court program is comprised of a collaborative and non-adversarial team which is led by a judge and may include a coordinator, treatment staff, prosecutor(s), public defender(s), law enforcement representative(s), case manager(s), probation officers and others who work together to ensure that the program operates according to all applicable standards and policies. Currently, 50 of the specialty court programs in Louisiana are drug courts, which were authorized by the legislature in 1997 in R.S. 13:5301 et seq. <br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>What types of specialty court programs are there?</strong></p><p>In Louisiana, there are currently 75 specialty court programs throughout the state. The majority of these programs are drug courts:</p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"></span><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Adult Drug Courts</span> function within the adult criminal justice system and target offenders who are charged with a drug related crime, or a crime committed due to an underlying substance use disorder (SUD). </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Family Preservation/Intervention Courts</span> work with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to serve justice involved families. Family Preservation Courts target participants who are parents at risk of losing their child(ren) due to a parent(s) underlying SUDr. Family Intervention Courts serve the entire family and also target parents and/or childrren who have been diagnosed with SUD. </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Juvenile Drug Courts</span> are a docket within a juvenile court that offers juveniles and their families community-based supervision and interventions aimed at eliminating juvenile drug use and high rates of recidivism associated with the juvenile’s substance use disorder. <br /></p><p style="margin-left:30px;"> </p><p>Other types of specialty court programs include:</p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;"></span><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Sobriety/DWI Courts</span> – these programs are similar to adult drug courts but target offenders who have multiple DWI convictions. They provide intensive supervision with a focus on public safety as well as treatment and case management. </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Behavioral Health/Mental Health/Co-Occurring Courts</span> – these courts were authorized in 2013 by R.S. 13:5353 et seq. They provide a structured judicial intervention process for eligible criminal defendants who are diagnosed with mental illness and/or SUD. Services include mental health and/or SUD treatment, random drug testing, and intensive judicial monitoring.</p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Reentry Courts</span> – Reentry courts were authorized in 2010 by R.S. 13:5401 et seq. Eligible participants plead into this workforce development sentencing program, which also provides inmate rehabilitation in a DOC facility. The DOC facility provides case management, job training, and other services to prepare participants for life outside of prison. Once participants have been released from the facility, they report to the reentry court judge under intensive supervision, and receive services to assist them with acclimating back into society. </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Veterans Courts</span> – Authorized in 2014 by R.S. 13:5361 et seq., these pograms are based on the drug and mental health court models. They seek to assist veterans caught up in the criminal justice system by providing them with treatment and other case management services as needed. They also incorporate veterans as mentors to assist in helping the veteran participants with their individual needs. </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Swift and Certain Court</span> is a pilot program in the 24th JDC authorized by LA. R.S. 13:5371 et seq. It is an intense program for probationers providing frequent judicial contact and drug testing, as well as substance use disorder treatment as appropriate </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"> </p><p style="margin-left:30px;"> </p><p><strong>How do drug courts work?</strong></p><p>The majority of specialty court programs in Louisiana are drug courts. Louisiana’s drug courts are demanding programs that require intensive substance abuse treatment, frequent drug testing, judicial oversight, and community supervision and support to ensure the best possible outcomes for offenders with substance use disorders. While more intensive, these programs are typically less expensive and ultimately more effective than those associated with involvement in traditional correction and supervision settings.</p><p>Drug court programs are typically divided into phases, which can include acute stabilization, clinical stabilization, adaptive habilitation, and continuing care. Participants are promoted by phase as their substance use disorder and other issues are addressed, and as they exhibit successful behaviors indicating they have overcome these issues.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Who is eligible for drug court?</strong></p><p>Legal eligibility for participation in a drug court program is contained in the Louisiana Drug Court Statute, LA R.S. 13:5301 et seq.</p><p>Clinical eligibility of participants is determined by trained drug court staff using validated screening and assessment tools. These tools determine the presence of substance use disorders, as well as other risks and needs.</p><p> </p><p><strong>What are drug court participation requirements?</strong></p><p>Participants are obligated to complete rigorous requirements including weekly treatment sessions, regular interaction with the drug court judge and other team members, and abstinence monitoring throughout the program. Abstinence is monitored by frequent testing for alcohol and other drugs; this testing is administered randomly and unpredictably throughout the duration of the program. Participants must complete the specific criteria in each phase in order to advance to the next phase, culminating in graduation from the program.</p><p>Responses to participant’s behaviors range from incentives for compliance with the program and sanctions when out of compliance. </p><p> </p><p><strong>How are Louisiana drug courts funded?</strong></p><p>Funds for Louisiana’s drug courts are appropriated by the Louisiana Legislature and administered by the Supreme Court Drug and Specialty Court Office (SCDSCO). The SCDSCO awards funds annually to programs based upon performance; the SCDSCO also monitors each program’s operations both fiscally and programmatically throughout the year.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Who are our drug court partners?</strong></p><p>The SCDSCO works with many state partners and agencies including but not limited to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), the LDH Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), the Governor’s Office of Drug Policy, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPSC), the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ), Children and Family Futures (CFF) and other state and federal partners to ensure accountability and promote best practices in existing drug court programs.</p><p> </p><p> </p>