ST. CHARLES PARISH DRUG COURT

Drug Court Team	Mission Statement
Goals and Objectives	Eligibility Criteria
Disqualifier/Qualifier Criteria	Referral Policy
Program Phases	Relapse Policy
Drug Court Contacts

Drug Court Team

Judge Robert A. Chaisson
Judge Kirk R. Granier
Judge Emile R. St. Pierre
Jackie Cristina, Coordinator
Victor E. Bradley, Jr., Indigent Defender Attorney
Juan A. Byrd, Assistant District Attorney
Gregory J. Johnson, Compliance Officer
Michelle Miroddi, M.Ed., NCC, LPC Intern, The Center For Family and Youth Services, Inc.
Eva Tripkovich, Department of Corrections-Probation and Parole
Jonnie Dunn, Department of Corrections - Probation and Parole

Mission Statement

The St. Charles Parish Drug Court has been established to enhance the quality of life and to provide a safer community, thereby reducing social costs related to substance abuse. The primary mission of the Drug Court is to break the cycle of addiction and rehabilitate substance-abusing offenders by utilizing governmental agencies and community resources.

Goals and Objectives

Goal #1 - To provide timely court intervention, screening, and assessment to non-violent substance abusing offenders by participation in a court supervised program of treatment.

Objectives:

1. Of the eligible offenders referred to the program, 90% will receive substance abuse evaluations within 10 days of referral to the Drug Court program; 100% will receive substance abuse evaluations within 30 days of referral to the Drug Court program.

2. 90% of Drug Court participants will receive court intervention within 10 days of referral to the Drug Court program; 100% of participants will receive court intervention within 30 days of referral to the Drug Court program – as measured by attendance at first Drug Court session.

Goal #2 - The Drug Court team will provide effective and efficient court supervision to participants in the Drug Court Program.

Objectives:

1.                   100% of the Drug Court participants will receive intensive court supervision including regular hearings, tracking of progress, and progressive sanctions for failures.
2.                   75% of the Drug Court participants will complete treatment successfully.
3.                   100% of the participants who successfully graduate will have a long-term sobriety plan, including support group attendance or other activities.

Goal #3 - To provide a comprehensive integrated program of drug treatment and rehabilitation services to non-violent substance abusing offenders in St. Charles Parish.

Objectives:

1.                   100% of participants in the Drug Court Program will receive inpatient or outpatient substance abuse treatment as measured by treatment provider verification reports.
2.                   90% of the participants eligible to work will be employed or in training upon graduation from the Drug Court Program as measured by case management employment verification reports.
3.                   50% of the Drug Court participants with no high school degree will earn a GED as measured by educational verification reports.

Goal #4 - To enhance collaboration between the judicial system, law enforcement, substance abuse treatment agencies, health care providers, social services, mental health interests, and public policy makers.

Objectives:

1. To increase coordination among law enforcement, the courts and treatment providers as measured by attendance records at Drug Court sessions and other Drug Court related meetings.
2. To reduce overlap and duplication of services.

Goal #5 - To promote public safety by reducing recidivism in non-violent substance abusing offenders in St. Charles Parish.

Objective:

1. To reduce recidivism among participants who complete the program by 50%.

Goal #6 - To reduce taxpayer costs for the criminal justice system.

Objective:

1. To increase savings to the taxpayer by reducing incarceration costs for Drug Court participants.

Eligibility Criteria

Adults age 17 and older and a resident of St. Charles Parish
Must have entered a guilty plea to one of the following enumerated crimes:
1. DWI
2. Possession/distribution/possession with intent to distribute of CDS
3. Addiction driven property crimes
Any probation violation for one of the above enumerated offenses with a positive drug test
Post plea/post adjudication

Disqualifier/Qualifier Criteria

Offense Disqualifier

1.         Conviction of violent crime (R.S. 14:2) within a 10-year period:
                        a.         Solicitation for murder
                        b.         First degree murder
                        c.         Second degree murder
                        d.         Manslaughter
                        e.         Aggravated battery
                        f.          Second degree battery
                        g.         Aggravated assault
                        h.         Mingling harmful substances
                        i.          Aggravated rape
                        j.          Forcible rape
                        k.         Simple rape
                        l.          Sexual battery
                        m.        Aggravated sexual battery
                        n.         Oral sexual battery
                        o.         Aggravated oral sexual battery
                        p.         Intentional exposure to AIDS virus
                        q.         Aggravated kidnapping
                        r.          Second degree kidnapping
                        s.         Simple kidnapping
                        t.          Aggravated arson
                        u.         Aggravated criminal damage to property
                        v.         Aggravated burglary
                        w.        Armed robbery
                        x.         First degree robbery
                        y.         Simple robbery
                        z.          Purse snatching
                        aa.        Extortion
                        bb.        Assault by drive-by shooting
                        cc.        Aggravated crime against nature
                        dd.        Carjacking
                        ee.        Illegal use of weapons or dangerous instruments

Offender Disqualifier

1. Anyone who has not obtained the age of 17.
2. Non-resident of St. Charles Parish.

Offense Qualifier

            1.         DWI
            2.         Possession/distribution/possession with intent to distribute CDS
            3.         Addiction driven property crimes
            4.         Any probation violation for one of the above enumerated offenses with a positive drug screen

Offender Qualifier

            1.         Substance abuse/addiction issue
            2.         Resident of St. Charles Parish
            3.         17 years of age or older

Referral Policy

The District Attorney’s Office, Judge, and defense attorney will determine defendant’s legal eligibility based on existing 29th JDC Drug Court criteria and will contact the Drug Court Coordinator to schedule a Drug Court Assessment. The Coordinator will review the rap sheet located in the Clerk’s file to determine that the referral is a qualified candidate for Drug Court and schedule the defendant’s assessment for the next Drug Court date.

The defendant is then notified to appear in Drug Court the following week for assessment. The Drug Court Coordinator will conduct a Drug Court Assessment and, if the defendant is still eligible for Drug Court up to that point, schedule an appointment for the defendant at The Center For Family and Youth Services, Inc. for a Substance Abuse Assessment. The defendant will be placed on the Drug Court Docket for the following week, and, at staffing, a decision is made by the Drug Court Team as to whether or not the defendant will be accepted into the program. Whether the Team accepts or denies the defendant entry into the program, the Drug Court Coordinator will notify the referring division Judge, Assistant District Attorney, and defense attorney of the Drug Court Team’s decision in writing.

Upon acceptance, the defendant will enter a guilty plea in the referring division of court, receive a suspended jail sentence and be placed on probation with a condition of probation to successfully complete the Drug Court Program. At the sentencing hearing, the client is ordered to begin Substance Abuse treatment immediately and is provided with dates and times to report for intake and treatment.

Program Phases

Phase I – Stabilization and Engagement

Minimum 8 weeks

9 hours of group weekly

Urine screens three times weekly *

3 AA/NA Meetings weekly

Court each Wednesday

24 hours work or community service weekly **

Individual counseling or anger management as mandated

Requirements for advancement to Phase II:

                     1.               Must at least obtain a temporary AA sponsor and complete Step 1
2.                   Clean urine screens and/or breath tests for 30 days
3.                   Must be sanction free for 30 days
4.                   Payment of all treatment fees for Phase I

Phase II: Behavior Modification and Cognitive Restructuring

Minimum 14 weeks

4 hours of group weekly

Urine screens twice weekly *

3 AA/NA meetings weekly

Court every other week

24 hours weekly employment or community service **

Individual counseling or anger management as mandated

Requirements for advancement to Phase III:

            1.                   Complete AA Steps 2 & 3
2.                   Provide list of AA meetings you regularly attend
3.                   Identify a role model
4.                   Must have obtained a permanent AA sponsor
5.                   Complete your life story
6.                   Payment of all treatment fees for Phase II
7.                   Minimum 30 days of clean UA’s and/or breath tests
8.                   Must be sanction free for 30 days

Phase III: Relapse Prevention and Transition

Minimum of 16 weeks

2 hours of group once weekly

3 AA/NA meetings weekly

Urine screens weekly *

Court every 2 weeks

24 hours employment or community service weekly **

Requirements for advancement to Phase IV:

1.                   Must be a role model for clients in Phases I & II
2.                   Complete AA Steps 4 & 5 with your AA sponsor
3.                   Have a written plan to prepare for slips
4.                   Have a list of triggers and identify patterns that cause you to slip into old behavior and develop specific interventions to change the patterns
5.                   Have a list of phone numbers to use in time of weakness
6.                   Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college, or vo-tech school
7.                   Payment of all treatment fees for Phase III
8.                   Develop outside relationships unrelated to using or abusing alcohol or drugs
9.                   Clean UA’s and/or breath tests for minimum of 8 weeks
10.               Must be sanction free for 30 days

Phase IV- Transition

Minimum 16 weeks

1 hour group counseling weekly

2 AA/NA meetings weekly

Weekly urine screens *

Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college, or vo-tech school

Court every 2 weeks

Requirements for advancement to Phase V:

1.         Must be a role model for clients in Phases I, II, and III
2.         Continues AA Step work and be actively working with your AA sponsor
3.         Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college, or vo-tech school
4.         Clean UA’s and/or breath tests during entire phase
5.         Payment in full of all treatment fees for Phase IV

Phase IV- Aftercare

Minimum 3-6 months (to be determined by treatment provider)

1 hour group counseling bi-weekly and 2 AA meeting per week

Bi-weekly urine screens*

Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college or vo-tech school

Court appearance every 3-4 weeks

Must remain sanction free entire phase

Clients will be subject to random urine screens at any time during Phase V. In the event of a positive drug screen, missed treatment meeting, or missed AA meeting, the client will be referred to appear in Drug Court on the next Drug Court date following the violation. Treatment will make a phase demotion recommendation (either Phase II or Phase III) to the Drug Court team; however the final decision is made by the team.

Upon successful completion of 3-6 months of aftercare treatment will recommend placing the client in line for graduation from Drug Court. Clients will be required to attend Phase V groups, 2 AA meetings per week, and all scheduled court appearances until graduation.

Requirements for graduation

Demonstrate ability to be fully responsible for yourself and your behavior
Be aware of the impact of your behavior on family, friends and society
Make a report to the Drug Court team on the impact of Drug Court on your life
Provide constructive feedback about the Drug Court program (i.e., what worked best for you; what gave you trouble)
Be a model of productive behavior and provide support and encouragement to other Drug Court clients
Payment in full of treatment fees for Phase V

*You may be asked to provide a urine screen and/or breath test at any time during the program. Failure to submit a urine screen or refusal to give a breath test will be considered an automatic positive screen, and you will receive an immediate sanction decided upon by the Drug Court team.

**If you do not have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, you will be ordered to enroll in and complete the GED program in lieu of 24 hours work or community service.

During all phases of the program, you will be subject to random home visits or visits to your place of work, by your probation officer and/or Drug Court Compliance Officer.

Sanctions for non-compliance with Drug Court rules may be any one of, or a combination of the following :

Increased AA meetings

Community service

Jail

Phase demotion

Revocation

The St. Charles Parish Drug Court’s goal is to keep an individual in treatment and Drug Court for as long as possible without sabatoging the treatment of other clients.

Relapse Policy

The St. Charles Parish Drug Court recognizes that relapse is a part of the disease process and may occur during the treatment process. In the context of this program, relapse is defined as a return to use of drugs or alcohol after a period of abstinence. In this program, relapse falls into one of two categories: (a) the individual is motivated for recovery and is cooperative with the treatment staff at the time of relapse, or (b) the individual is non-cooperative with the treatment process and is no longer a candidate for treatment. Relapse falling into the first category is considered a treatment issue and the Drug Court relies on the recommendations of the treatment team as to how best support the client through this setback. Relapse falling into the second category is considered a legal issue and the Drug Court will rely on the recommendations of the Compliance Officer, District Attorney, and treatment representative. All relapses are reviewed on an individual basis by the entire Drug Court team.

The St. Charles Parish Drug Court’s goal is to keep an individual in treatment and Drug Court for as long as possible without sabotaging the treatment of the other clients.

            Suggested sanctions for relapses will be as follows:
            a.         increased NA/AA meetings
            b.         community service
            c.         jail
            d.         detox/inpatient placement

Sanctions for “stalls” are the same as for those “dirty” drug tests.

In the event a client consistently tests positive for alcohol or drugs, and/or is non-compliant with the rules governing Drug Court, the client could face revocation of their probation and be ordered to serve the jail sentence as outlined in the plea agreement.

Drug Court Contacts

Hon. Emile R. St. Pierre – Div. C 29th Judicial District Court P. O. Box 424 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone: 985-783-2923 FAX: 985-783-3205	Hon. Kirk R. Granier – Div. D 29th Judicial District Court P. O. Box 424 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone : 985-783-2923 FAX : 985-783-3211
Hon. Robert A. Chaisson – Div. E 29th Judicial District Court P. O. Box 424 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone: 985-783-2923 FAX: 985-783-3213	Jackie C. Cristina Drug Court Coordinator 29th Judicial District Court P. O. Box 424 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone: 985-783-3216 FAX: 985-783-3205
Juan Byrd Assistant District Attorney 29th Judicial District P. O. Box 680 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone: 985-783-6263 FAX: 985-783-6526	Gregory Johnson Compliance Officer 29thJudicial District Court P. O. Box 424 Hahnville, LA 70057 Phone: 985-783-3216 FAX: 985-783-3205
Victor Bradley, Jr. Attorney At Law 29th JDC Indigent Defender Board Parish of St. Charles P. O. Box 188 Norco, LA 70079-0188 Phone: 985-764-2338 FAX: 985-764-1479	Eva Tripkovich Department of Corrections Probation and Parole P. O. Box 878 Thibodaux, LA 70302-0878 Phone: 985-447-0932 FAX: 985-447-0827
Michell Miroddi M.Ed., NCC, LPC Intern, The Center For Family and Youth Services, Inc. 201 Paul Maillard Road Luling, LA 70070 Phone: 985-331-0046 FAX: 985-331-0076	Jonnie Dunn Department of Corrections Probation and Parole P. O. Box 878 Thibodaux, LA 70302-0878 Phone: 985-447-0932 FAX: 985-447-0827

	Minimum 8 weeks
	9 hours of group weekly
	Urine screens three times weekly *
	3 AA/NA Meetings weekly
	Court each Wednesday
	24 hours work or community service weekly **
	Individual counseling or anger management as mandated

	Minimum 14 weeks
	4 hours of group weekly
	Urine screens twice weekly *
	3 AA/NA meetings weekly
	Court every other week
	24 hours weekly employment or community service **
	Individual counseling or anger management as mandated

	Minimum of 16 weeks
	2 hours of group once weekly
	3 AA/NA meetings weekly
	Urine screens weekly *
	Court every 2 weeks
	24 hours employment or community service weekly **

	Minimum 16 weeks
	1 hour group counseling weekly
	2 AA/NA meetings weekly
	Weekly urine screens *
	Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college, or vo-tech school
	Court every 2 weeks

	Minimum 3-6 months (to be determined by treatment provider)
	1 hour group counseling bi-weekly and 2 AA meeting per week
	Bi-weekly urine screens*
	Must be employed full time or be enrolled in G.E.D., college or vo-tech school
	Court appearance every 3-4 weeks
	Must remain sanction free entire phase