Legislative session bright spot: Re-entry program that stops recidivism

5th July 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer

For all the talk of the deficit, and all the budgetary machinations, likely the Legislation with the most long-term impact has been Orleans Criminal District Court Chief Judge Laurie White’s Re-entry Program.

White’s innovative proposal has been hailed nationally for reducing recidivism, enhancing public safety, and reducing crime. Expanded by Governor Edwards in the recent legislative session, Judge White explained to The Louisiana Weekly, “Re-entry Court in Orleans Parish was the first of its kind in Louisiana.

Started at Criminal District Court in 2010 when legislation was passed at the legislature to allow our court to sentence a felon charged with a non-violent, non-sex related crime in which the DA was not filing a multiple bill and put that participant in La. State Penitentiary at Angola for a sentence of 10 years or less.”

“Once the judge decides who is a good fit and if the person is interested, then I put them in the program,” she continued. “The participant must obtain their GED/HSIC while incarcerated and achieve at least two levels of certification in a trade that is being taught at the prison as well as 100 hours of pre-release programing and many other courses, including drug education and treatment and parenting skills.. They are studying and testing for nationally recognized certifications in HVAC, welding, automotive repair, plumbing, construction, horticulture and numerous others.

“The beauty of the program is that it is a cost savings on many fronts….but most importantly because the teachers and mentors of the program are Lifers at the prison. These men have chosen to work with the young men in the program becoming their educational, religious, occupational and social mentors to get them to succeed in the program. The person stays a minimum of two years and then is returned to court for supervision by me and a probation officer for up to five years.”

As the critics question whether the reentry program actually reduces crime, White answered, “It is a very successful model that has been recognized nationally by the American Correctional Association and the American Bar Association and the Louisiana Hall of Fame for the Department of Corrections.

The program reduces recidivism and prevents future victims. It puts people back to work even though they have a felony conviction in a well-paying field to support themselves and their families and not repeat the cycle of crime.”

Comparing Louisiana to elsewhere, she added, “In other States in the U.S., Re-entry Courts are run by the D.A.’s office or the Court but only begin at the end of the sentence or upon return to the community after a jail term.

I knew that our population needed to start sooner and that we had many Lifers in the prisons that would be excellent mentors to teach these young offenders not to do what they had done. To spend time with men that have no chance of release from prison that are giving back and still hopeful and leading lives of value, even if in prison is a very powerful statement being made in actions not only words to the young, sometimes thick-headed, street-wise individual.”

“This scenario sets up the young defendant to be in a position of having a father figure that maybe they never had and learn from inside the prison what a bad choice and continuing on the wrong path can lead. The recent legislation is a further extension of our work to make this program more valuable to the owners of businesses to want to hire a returning citizen and receive a skilled worker that happens to also be a felon and to know that the new employee is being monitored and assisted in this transition back to the community by a judge and others making sure they do not make a misstep.”

“Re-entry programs save taxpayers money because the person does not go back into prison, their children may not go to prison because the father is in their lives, etc.”

“There is a terrible cycle of release and return to prison because of a person not being able to make a living wage. I believe this is the answer to our crime problems and it saves entire families and prevents future criminal acts being perpetrated on a new victim.”

As to whether the program continues to maintain support, White noted that the difficult budgetary climate of the 2016 legislative session the Edwards Administration supported boosting funding for the program.

As she explained, “Governor Edwards is not the first Governor to sign a bill involving legislation pertaining to re-entry as Governor Jindal did sign the first bills.But Governor Edwards was very eager to fund the re-entry courts and expand those. Since inception in 2010, Reentry has expanded to Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, St Tammany, Sabine, Lafayette, and as of this recent session to Lake Charles and St. Bernard parishes. The most amazing thing about this program is that we have NO FUNDING and NO STAFF but for the Judge and their staff.”

“It operates because a judge wants to participate and take on the extra work. ….because it will help people and our community. We hope that funding will be legislatively or judicially granted soon.”

White concluded noting, “I have about 25 men currently that have completed the prison portion of the program and are now being monitored by me and the Probation Officer. I have had about five to six men successfully graduate from the second phase which I handle.”

This article originally published in the July 4, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.