East baton rouge parish (EBRP) spans 455 square miles and is home to a diverse population of more than 440,000 louisiana residents

The 19th Judicial District Court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded $700,000 under the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program (CFDA 16.043) to establish a post-adjudication veterans treatment court. The court estimates enrolling approximately 326 justice-involved veterans in need of substance abuse and/or mental health treatment from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2026. Treatment will be provided by local court-approved providers and include medication-assisted treatment. Additional services such as housing, employment, education, social support, and medical assistance will also be provided based on individual needs assessments. Participants will remain in the program a minimum of nine months or up to 18 months depending on risk levels. On average, participation is estimated at 12 months. The funding will support implementation of evidence-based treatment and recovery programs aligned with best practices for veterans treatment courts.

The parish comprises four cities, baton rouge, baker, central, and zachary. The 19TH judicial district court (19TH JDC) is responsible for all civil and criminal court matters in the parish. The 19TH JDC operates two specialty courts: adult drug court (ADC) and the david O'quinn pre-trial diversion & recovery program (PTD). The current proposal is being submitted by the 19TH JDC to establish a post-adjudication veterans treatment court (VTC) in EBRP. The target population will be justice-involved veterans in need of substance abuse and/or mental health treatment. All treatment, including medication assisted treatment, will be provided by local court-approved treatment providers. Additional services will include support and resources to address any identified need or barrier to success, such as housing, employment, education, social, family, and medical assistance. If funded, an estimated 326 participants will be enrolled during the grant term. Length of time in the VTC will be guided by the results of a risk/need assessment at intake. At minimum, participants will be in the VTC for nine months; however, some veterans, such as those with high risk and high need will be mandated to 18 months. The average length of program participation is estimated to be 12 months. The following reflects nadcp adult drug court best practice standards addressed in the 19TH JDC's application and associated document and page numbers for reference: target population 4, 5, 9 (proposal narrative) equity and inclusion 8 (proposal narrative) roles and responsibilities of the judge 4 (MOU) incentives, sanctions, and therapeutic adjustments