DPPJ looks to use opioid settlement money on drug court

MANSFIELD, La. -- The 42nd Judicial District Court has been approved to launch a specialty drug court, and the program is already accepting participants, Chief Judge Amy Burford McCartney told the DeSoto Parish Police Jury's Administrative Committee on Monday.

McCartney said the Louisiana Supreme Court approved the specialty court and its funding, with the program officially beginning July 1.

She introduced members of the drug court team, including drug court coordinator and case manager Candace Williams; assistant district attorneys Ed Blewer and Nancy Berger Schneider; district defenders Brian McCrae and Andrew Fryer; state probation and parole agents Ashley Harris and Brandon Thompson; and Madelyn Lemoyne and Jake Thunderburk, representatives from North Louisiana Whole Health Treatment Center and directors of the Mansfield and Shreveport offices, respectively.

McCartney said the treatment provider has been serving DeSoto Parish residents for about a year and a half through its Shreveport office and is opening a Mansfield location to make services more accessible.

"It will be convenient for those who are attending from the parish," she said.

McCartney asked the Police Jury to approve the use of opioid settlement funds to help support the drug court, emphasizing that the parish would not be responsible for funding the program.

"The No. 1 question is, is it going to cost us any money? The answer is no," she said. "All I'm asking is that you'll sign off on the opioid settlement and allow those monies to flow through, so that we can utilize those for drug court purposes."

She said the Louisiana Supreme Court is also providing funding for the program. If those funding sources are no longer sufficient in the future, the court would be unable to continue operating the specialty court.

The program must be approved each year through an annual funding application. McCartney said other judicial districts with drug courts have continued receiving funding, barring any reduction in the Supreme Court's budget by the Legislature.

The money to fund DeSoto's drug court is coming from the parish’s portion of a national settlement that resolved federal and state lawsuits against the three largest opioid pharmaceutical distributors. Louisiana is set to receive $354 million in settlement funds over an 18-year period, with $18 million already received in the first year and $25.3 million in the second year.

All the money is being disbursed by parish on a percentage basis. The Police Jury expects to get about $63,500 the first year.

The money can be used for treatment, prevention or other strategies. 

Although the local program officially started last week, McCartney said work is already underway.

"We already have 11 prospective participants," she said. "We've interviewed two of those, and the group has agreed to accept one of those. So we're already moving along at a pretty rapid pace."

Participants will typically spend 18 to 24 months in the program, though McCartney said some cases could take as long as 30 months depending on individual progress.

During the first phase, participants will appear in court at least twice each month, attend substance abuse treatment at least three days a week for about three hours each session, undergo random drug screenings and remain under probation supervision.

"They're being touched numerous times per week to help ensure compliance and to keep them on a path, so that they don't end up in prison," McCartney said.

McCartney said the program focuses on more than addiction treatment. Participants will also be assisted with earning a GED if needed and develop job skills through partnerships with local education and workforce providers.

"The idea is that you treat the whole person, and that's going to better not only them, but their family, and then the community as a whole," she said.

Police Juror Ernel Jones said he welcomed the addition of the specialty court.

The Police Jury will formally vote on the matter at its July 20 meeting.