by
Maniko Barthelemy
Jefferson
Parish Celebrates Alternative Drug Sentencing Program
For a brief moment, judges, ex-offenders, parole
officers and politicians were all smiles, happy to be around each other. “This
is about saving people’s lives, about making sure no one gets left behind and
everyone has an opportunity to be a productive member of society,” said
Jefferson Parish President, John Young.
Young and nearly 60 people enjoyed a Drug Court
Rally, May 15, outside of the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Court Center. The
program was one of many around the country celebrating “National Drug Court
Month.”
With the emotional testimonies from graduates of the
parish’s program and praise from politicians it felt like a joyful church
service. One Gretna teenager ecstatic about being included in the festivities
and determined to continue his clean and sober road got a standing ovation. “I
turned to God and begged him to show me the way, said Philip Long.”
Long, 17, landed in front of a judge in 2013, after
his addiction to painkillers spiraled out of control. Instead of being
sentenced to time behind bars, Long got a break and slowly regained control of
his life. He credits the 12-month court ordered strict intervention with his
renewed sense of self-respect and ambition. “I’ve written songs and I think I
want to be a journalist,’ said Long.
Court mandated drug treatment is rigorous. It includes
frequent drug testing, sobriety meetings, unannounced visits from probation
officers and family therapy. For adults, the intervention program is 18 months.
A Gretna woman told the crowd the drug court
sentence scared her straight. “I wasn’t fit for jail and I knew I wouldn’t
last,” said 39-year-old Natalie Parfait. For nearly 10 years, Parfait bounced
between marijuana and heroin, neglecting her family. In 2011, her fast world
and drug addiction collided, with tough love from a judge. “I was facing two to
28 years in prison and I was pregnant,” said Parfait. “I was standing there
praying for a chance.” Today, she is healthy and happy to spend her days as a personal
fitness trainer and her nights being a mother to her children.
Parfait and Long are two of the 500 Jefferson Parish
Drug Court success stories over the parish’s 17 years of alternatively dealing
with people who commit nonviolent crimes to support their habits. The adult
system was put in place in 1997, followed by the juvenile program in 1998. Initially,
grants and private donations kept the system afloat. Today, the Louisiana
Supreme Court funds the program through earmarked revenue.
