Legislation will quickly identify individuals with substance use
disorders who become involved in the criminal justice system and hopefully
provide early intervention and treatment
BATON ROUGE, LA – New legislation is
being introduced in the Louisiana Legislature to expand and improve drug and
specialty courts across the State.
Flanked by fellow members of the Drug and
Specialty Court Commission – Attorney General Jeff
Landry, Senator Rick Ward, and Representative Denise
Marcelle announced this bipartisan criminal justice reform
effort that would invest settlements, judgments, and penalties recovered
by our State as a result of the opioid crisis
into saving resources, lives, and families
across Louisiana.
“Oftentimes, Louisiana squanders
away opportunities because, instead of doing a few great things, we chose
to do a lot of nothings,” said Attorney General Landry. “Today, we change
that same old failed approach.”
“Drug courts work; and they should be an option for all
our State’s citizens, whether they live in Jackson Parish or Jefferson Parish,”
continued Attorney General Landry. “The legislation proposed by Senator Ward
can make that possible by creating a Drug and Specialty Court fund in the state
treasury to deposit compensation recovered from opioid manufacturers,
marketers, and sellers who stoked the fire of the epidemic.”
The fund would be disbursed to state and local entities
which provide and enable treatment courts across Louisiana. It would
expand drug testing for arrestees to quickly identify
individuals with substance use disorders who become involved in the criminal
justice system and hopefully provide early intervention and treatment for them.
“Any time that we can do something to make people safer,
to make people healthier, to cut down on recidivism – I am all on board,”
said Representative Marcelle. “I am proud to be a part of this
bipartisan relationship.”
Attorney General Landry expressed hope for swift passage
of the measure, concluding “This is not a Republican bill or a Democrat
bill; rather, it is a Louisiana bill and it is one that will reduce
crime, reduce drug use, and reduce costs to taxpayers.”