Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James Le Blanc is conducting a series of statewide visits of all four Louisiana Day Reporting Centers (DRC).
Monday, Secretary Le Blanc and local stakeholders toured the Shreveport Day Reporting Center for an open house. The department has contracted with GEO Reentry Services to operate three of the state's four reentry centers, including the one in Shreveport.
Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James Le Blanc believes these centers are crucial for the state's effort in reducing incarceration rates.
"I was very resistant to it at first," said Harry Marioneaux, a client of the center in Shreveport. "Kept using, relapsing, using, relapsing. And so I came back, motivated to do it," Marioneaux has now been sober for 3 weeks while participating in the program.
"Day Reporting Centers play such an integral part in making sure that those persons that have been incarcerated have somewhere to go to teach them the life skills, teach them the opportunities to get back into society," said Malcolm Myer, Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
In order to fight recidivism, Myer said Secretary Le Blanc's goal is to re-open four reporting centers in that state that have been closed due to budget cuts.
"We're really trying to make productive citizens out of the folks that we service here," said Justin Jones, program manager for the Shreveport DRC.
The center uses Moral Reconation Therapy, a 12 step method to target behavior change in clients. They also focus on anger management, parenting and family reintegration, job readiness, along with a number of other necessary skills to integrate into society.
"This program gives me discipline because they give drug tests every week, you gotta be accountable for your actions," said Marioneaux. "I am thankful 100 percent."
Jones said many clients come in reluctantly, but leave with a changed mindset.
"I was in a dark place," said Trenton (Paris) Jones, a client of the center. "My counselors here, they have helped me in so many ways, tremendously, I am just so thankful, this program feels like it was a second chance for me."
Their goal is to graduate as many clients at possible, and give them the tools they need for a better life.
"If we can see someone graduate, and see them be productive in society and gain employment, or gain stable housing, or whatever the case may be, then that makes it all the more rewarding for us," said Justin Jones.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has successfully partnered with GEO reentry since 2010, with the first opening of reentry centers in Louisiana. Today, GEO reentry operates three intensive day reporting centers in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Covington. Nationally, the company operates 51 community-based day reporting centers; 20 residential reentry centers (halfway houses); five in-custody treatment programs; and 57 U.S. Correctional facilities. GEO contracts with 16 state departments of corrections as well as federal agencies to provide a range of correctional and immigration services.
The services are free for all participants, those in the program have to be recommended by a parole officer or a judge to participate.
