Louisiana § RS 15:828.3 - Pilot program; substance abuse counseling

§ RS 15:828.3. Pilot program; substance abuse counseling

            A. The "Prison Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Pilot Program" is hereby created and established within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

            B. Not later than March 1, 2008, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall implement a pilot program requiring that every eligible defendant receive substance abuse counseling.

            C. For the purposes of this Section, "eligible defendant" means a person convicted of a violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law who is in the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and designated by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections for participation in the pilot program authorized by the provisions of this Section.

            D. The department in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Health, office of behavioral health, shall adopt and promulgate rules and guidelines as it deems necessary for the administration and implementation of this program.

            E.(1) Each in-prison case manager or substance abuse counselor shall present a comprehensive report on the progress of inmates and former inmates under their respective jurisdictions to the secretary within twenty-two months following initial implementation of the program. The secretary shall submit a report on the overall success of the program as provided for in this Subsection. This report shall include a recommendation that the program be continued, expanded, or terminated.

            (2) The pilot program undertaken pursuant to this Section shall be evaluated with regard to security, beneficial and detrimental effects on the prisoner, projected probable effects on deterrence, cost, labor intensiveness, and other relevant measures of effectiveness. Such evaluation shall provide the required information on a project basis as well as in comparison with traditional imprisonment.

            (3) A report of the evaluation of the program shall be presented to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Section C, and the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice.

            F. The provisions of this Section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose and to the extent that is consistent with available resources, physical custody, and appropriate classification criteria.

            G. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall select the location and number of persons in the custody of the department to participate in the pilot program provided for by this Section.

            Acts 2007, No. 237, §1; Acts 2009, No. 384, §5, eff. July 1, 2010.