Louisiana Scores:
Sentencing
Problem-Solving
Grade: 
Score: 80/100
State Summary
Louisiana has established problem-solving courts throughout most of the state, including drug and alcohol intervention courts for adults and juveniles, as well as reentry courts, mental health courts, veterans courts, and family preservation courts.1
Standards are set by the Supreme Court Drug and Specialty Court Office. Programs are primarily evidence-based, with access for indigent participants.
Details
Availability of Problem-Solving Courts
Louisiana allows for local implementation of courts, resulting in a lack of access in certain parts of the state.2 The courts are managed by individual circuit court districts, funded by state appropriation, and managed by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
30/40 points
Evidence-based Policies
Louisiana’s drug court policies are set by the Supreme Court’s Drug and Specialty Court Office. The policy standards are outlined clearly, and are primarily evidence-based.3
25/25 points
Access to Courts
State law requires participants to pay for participation, unless they are indigent. Indigency alone cannot prevent an individual from participating. However, due to fee-based funding systems, many rural judications can’t run specialized courts.
10/20 points
Breadth of Court Services
State law allows for the creation of specialized courts throughout the state, and a survey of available services reflects a relatively broad offering.
15/15 points
Sources
1. Drug Courts, Louisiana Supreme Court, https://www.lasc.org/Drug_Courts
2. Court Availability Map, Louisiana Supreme Court, https://www.lasc.org/court_managed_prog/SCDCO_Brochure.pdf
3. Program Standards, LADSC, https://ladsc.starchapter.com/images/downloads/PDF_Downloads/drug_court_best_practices_2016.pdf