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Louisiana Models for Change Lead Entity Holds Juvenile Drug Court Conference and Training to Celebrate 4th JDC Juvenile Drug Court Model
Apr 30, 2012, Louisiana Models for Change
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Louisiana Models for Change lead entity—the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Institute for Public Health and Justice—held a conference in New Orleans on April 10, 2012, to mark the culmination of it’s grant with the University of Louisiana at Monroe, which sought, among many things, development of a 4th Judicial District Court model juvenile drug court program. The conference was also hosted by University of Louisiana at Monroe and the Louisiana Supreme Court Drug Court Office.
“The Supreme Court Drug Court Office was delighted to participate in this collaboration between MacArthur, ULM and the 4th JDC as they worked toward development of a model juvenile drug court. With the help of MacArthur experts, the hard work of Judge Sharon Marchman and her team at the 4th JDC and the dedication of Dr. Jana Sutton and her staff at ULM, we look forward to better serving the juveniles of Louisiana who end up in our juvenile drug courts as they struggle with drug addiction and dependency issues,” Louisiana Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kitty Kimball said.
All Louisiana juvenile drug courts were invited to the daylong conference, which was kicked off with an address by Chief Justice Kimball. Esteemed state participants included 4th Judicial District Court Judge Sharon Marchman, Dr. Jana Sutton with University of Louisiana at Monroe, Orlando Davis with Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice, as well as national experts from the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, the National Center for Juvenile Justice and the Justice Management Institute, via support from MacArthur Foundation. The event was chaired by Dr. Debra DePrato, project director for the Louisiana Models for Change Initiative and director of the LSUHSC Institute for Public Health and Justice.
“Our partnership with the MacArthur Foundation and ULM enabled the 4th JDC to work with a team of national experts and, as a result, improve our juvenile drug court program through development of a proven, research and evidence-based treatment program for youth and their families in Ouachita Parish who experience alcohol and drug-related problems,” Judge Marchman said. “We look forward to working with other juvenile drug court professionals across the state, many of whom expressed interest in replicating the model in their jurisdictions,” she said.
In addition to the creation of a model court, the Models for Change grant to the 4th JDC also focused on creation of a strategic plan through data driven decision making for the development of continuum of care for evidence-based practices for the juvenile justice system, development and implementation of a model juvenile district attorney best practice triage screening process and identification of a best practice juvenile justice parenting model.
“The greatest achievement noted by each of the 4th JDC stakeholders was the collaboration among all parties involved in the court system to accomplish a best practice assessment and treatment model for the district’s juvenile drug court system, “ Dr. DePrato said. “From the district attorneys and defenders, to the juvenile judge, case managers, treatment providers and probation officers, the model is only successful through a team effort of all those involved in the system.”
The conference also included a training module for Louisiana juvenile drug court professionals to learn about the Louisiana model, role definitions and successes and challenges of the 4th JDC initiative.
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Louisiana's drug court program graduates over 88 percent
MONROE, La. — Ask anyone associated with the 4th Judicial District Court's drug court program and they will say its success has been overwhelming.
The News-Star reports (http://tnsne.ws/HrF6De ) the drug court program, which was started in Ouachita Parish in June 1998, consists of judicially supervised court dockets that handle the cases of nonviolent substance abusing offenders under the adult, juvenile, family and tribal justice systems.
Rather than being sentenced to jail time, qualified defendants are placed in substance abuse treatment programs. The defendants report once a week to a probation officer and take drug screens. Failure of any part of the program could land them in jail.
In Louisiana, about 88.3 percent of graduates from the program were not re-arrested within the first 12 months of completion of the program.
ABA Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Martinez v. Ryan
Today the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Martinez v. Ryan affirmed the importance of the Sixth Amendment by expanding the ability of federal habeas courts to evaluate the effectiveness of trial counsel.
The Court’s decision today is a change from its prior rule that prevented federal court review when appellate counsel was negligent. This welcome decision is in accord with longstanding policy of the American Bar Association and an amicus brief that the association submitted in the case.
“This significant ruling will help ensure fairness and justice for many criminal defendants throughout the country, including those on death row,” says ABA President Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III. “Many defendants who received ineffective representation or no representation at all during their post-conviction proceedings have been unable to present claims concerning violations of their constitutional rights at trial in federal court. The Court’s decision today recognizes the injustice of that circumstance.”
Please
click here for a link to the Supreme Court’s decision.
On March 21, 2012, Joe Waitz presented resolutions to Representative Gordon Dove and Represenative Joe Harrison recognizing their courage and commitment to the integrity of the Child Support Enforcement program and for their extraordinary efforts to forge a solution to continue funding for this program. Senator John Alario and Lisa Andry, CSE Executive Director, were not present to receive their resolution.
LDAA President Joe Waitz recognizes DA Harry Morel, who has announced his retirement effective May 31, 2012.
Mr. Morel was presented the Prosecutors’ Champion Award in recognition of exemplary leadership in the community and in the Louisiana criminal justice system, and for more than 30 years of distinguished service as elected District Attorney for the Parish of St. Charles. He was first elected district attorney in 1978 and re-elected without opposition five times.
