ABOUT
Adult Specialty Treatment Court programs were designed over thirty years ago to address the unique challenge of reducing substance use relapse and criminal recidivism among persons charged with or convicted of a crime. This concept of breaking the cycle of relapse and recidivism was brought to St. Charles Parish in 2000 when the 29th Judicial District Court launched its own adult specialty treatment court program.
From its inception, the St. Charles Parish Drug Court has focused on providing substance abuse treatment services to eligible individuals on probation. The program has evolved with promulgated best practice standards for specialty treatment courts. Beyond substance abuse treatment services, the 29th Judicial District Court recognizes the importance of housing security, food security, transportation, and the education and vocational needs in the success of program participants. In recent years, the St. Charles Parish Drug Court program has implemented processes to support its participants in accessing resources to address those needs.
While remaining focused on the original mission to provide a safer community, reduce the social costs related to substance use, and to aid in rehabilitation of substance using offenders, the St. Charles Parish Drug Court now provides outpatient individual and group treatment, medical referrals, social functioning assistance, access to community resources, and abstinence from substance use monitoring to eligible non-violent probationers. The program’s three phase approach is designed to assist in stabilization, cognitive restructuring and relapse prevention, and continuing care. The program guides its participants toward a life without substance use, connects them with services, and aids in repairing community relations so they can continue on this path even after they successfully complete the program.