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Angola reentry court model, judges and mentors highlighted as path to reduce returns
Summary
Judges, wardens and program mentors described the reentry court model based at Angola (and LCIW for women): a court‑ordered, two‑year in‑custody cohort with industry certifications and mentoring, followed by three years of supervised probation if re‑sentencing is granted; presenters reported early outcome measures and cautioned the program is limited to parishes that participate.
Judges, wardens and mentors who run reentry court told the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice on Jan. 14 that the court‑specialty model at Angola offers an evidence‑based path intended to lower returns to custody.
Judge Fred Kofassy (East Baton Rouge) described the court specialty program as a phased supervisory model: candidates are clinically screened and must waive certain appellate rights as part of a plea agreement; they then complete a two‑year in‑custody program that includes HiSET (if needed), two industry certifications and moral rehabilitation curricula. If the participant completes the custodial phase and meets team benchmarks, the court may re‑sentence the individual to an intensive three‑year supervised probation. Kofassy said the program uses mentors and a multi‑disciplinary team (probation, ADA, public defender) and compares favorably with drug court models in structure and oversight.
Assistant Warden Anne Marie Easley and department staff said reentry court participants must be accepted by the sentencing judge and district attorney under the statute cited in testimony (referenced as "13 54 0 1"). Easley reported a current reentry court recidivism figure of less than 14 percent and noted that nine judicial districts can sentence people into the Angola/LClW cohort. Judges and program leaders cautioned selection matters: some candidates are removed for non‑compliance and the program requires substantial mentor involvement.
Nonprofit partners and mentor programs — including the Parole Project and other community organizations — provide transitional housing, transportation and case management. Andrew Hundley of the Louisiana Parole Project and several formerly incarcerated mentors described the project’s role in immediate post‑release stabilization and reported low return‑to‑custody rates among their program completers; Hundley cited a <3% return rate for participants in his organization’s cohort but noted the program selectively enrolls candidates and works with vetted referrals.
Lawmakers asked whether the program could expand beyond the nine participating judicial districts; representatives from the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Drug and Specialty Court office said certification, local buy‑in and program staffing are hurdles but that additional courts are under review for approval.
