Mission and Goals

Our mission is to reduce adult offender abuse of and addiction to alcohol and other mood-altering chemicals, thus decreasing related criminal activity.   The Iberville Parish Drug Court also seeks to reduce the rate of incarceration in Louisiana and protect public safety.

We believe that incarceration does little to break the cycle of drug use and associated criminal activity and that the community and the offender are best served by treating the individual’s substance abuse problem.

Drug Court helps reduce the overcrowding of regular court dockets, increases the personal, familial, and societal accountability of offenders, and promotes effective interaction and use of resources among criminal justice personnel and community agencies.

Referral Process

Potential participants should be referred to the Drug Court Coordinator.  The defendant will be screened for legal eligibility and clinical suitability.  If the defendant meets all requirements, he/she must then enter a plea of guilty with the stipulation that sentencing is deferred or that the sentence be imposed but suspended.  The defendant will be placed on supervised probation with the condition that the defendant complete the Drug Court Program.  Upon successful completion of Drug Court, the participant may be eligible for early satisfactory termination of probation, and may also be eligible to have the conviction removed from their criminal record.  If the participant does not successfully complete the Drug Court Program, the judge may revoke probation and impose sentence.

Program Requirements

The Drug Court Program is comprised of four phases, with a minimum duration of one year.   Length of participation is determined by individual progress and compliance.

Phase I (2 month minimum)

• Submit to a minimum of two random drug screens each week

• Attend three group treatment sessions each week

• Attend three AA/NA/Self Help meetings each week

• Attend weekly status hearings

Phase II (3 month minimum)

• Submit to a minimum of two random drug screens each week

• Attend two group treatment sessions each week

• Attend three AA/NA/Self Help meetings each week

• Attend Bi-weekly status hearings

Phase III (3 month minimum)

• Submit to a minimum of two random drug screens each week

• Attend one group treatment session each week

• Attend three AA/NA/Self Help meetings each week

• Attend monthly status hearings

Phase IV (4 month minimum)

• Submit to at least one random drug screen each week

• Attend one group treatment session each week

• Attend one AA/NA/Self Help meeting each week

• Attend monthly status hearings

Upon successful completion of Phase IV, participants will be considered for graduation from the program.

Eligibility

The defendant must meet the following criteria for acceptance into Drug Court:

• Must be an adult charged with a felony drug related crime.

• The defendant suffers from a substance abuse problem.

• The defendant must not have prior convictions for any offense defined as homicide.

• The crime before the court cannot be a crime of violence.

• Other criminal proceedings alleging commission of a crime of violence cannot be pending against the defendant.

• The crime before the court cannot be a charge of DWI that resulted in the death of a person.

• The defendant cannot be on parole for a prior conviction.

In addition, defendants may have difficulty participating in the program if any of the following conditions exist:

• Work takes them out of town on a frequent basis.

• Resides outside of Iberville or West Baton Rouge Parishes.

• Lack of transportation

• Severe mental or emotional problems

• Medical condition that requires immediate attention

Drug Court Partners:

Drug Court Judge
The Honorable Elizabeth A. Engolio

18th JDC District Attorney’s Office
The Honorable Antonio M. “Tony” Clayton, District Attorney
Scott Stassi, 1st Assistant DA
Timothy Collins, Assistant DA

18th JDC Indigent Defender’s Office
Victor Woods

Iberville Parish Substance Abuse Center
Bert Allain, Director

Iberville Parish Council
The Honorable  J. Mitchell Ourso, Jr., Parish President

Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office
The Honorable Brett Stassi, Sheriff

Probation Division, LA Dept of Corrections
Amanda Fremin, Probation Officer

Drug Court Coordinator
Emily Patterson

Drug Court Case Manager
Kristy Ceasar