The sheriff may establish and run a Back on Track Louisiana Pilot Program for certain inmates if funds and resources are available, while the corrections department must set rules, report and calculate payments, and may adjust criteria and limit participation when funding is short.
§745.4. Back on Track Louisiana Pilot Program; establishment A. Subject to the availability of funds and appropriate resources, the sheriff of each parish is hereby authorized to establish and administer a Back on Track Louisiana Pilot Program for inmates of any jail or prison under the jurisdiction of the sheriff. B. The legislature recognizes that an essential component of reducing recidivism is providing an individual with the necessary skills to afford the individual with the opportunity to earn a living, support his family, and contribute to his community. C. For purposes of this Section, "individual" shall mean an inmate sentenced to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections who is in the custody of the sheriff. D. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to assign a percentage value to each of the following criteria that an inmate satisfied while being confined in a parish jail: (1) Attained a tenth grade reading level. (2) Obtained a high school diploma or GED credential. (3) Obtained an industry-based certificate. (4) Established a bank account with at least two months of living expenses. (5) Obtained a valid driver's license. (6) Established a verified permanent address prior to release. (7) Obtained a release or extinguishment of any prior wage garnishments or debts. (8) Secured an employment opportunity prior to release. E.(1) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall calculate one-half of the average number of days of incarceration of an inmate times the amount the department pays the sheriff each day for the housing of inmates in parish jails as provided by R.S. 15:824(B)(1)(a). (2) The sheriff shall report to the department the criteria, as established pursuant to Subsection D of this Section, accomplished by each inmate. (3) The department shall multiply the total percentage value of the criteria accomplished by each inmate times the value established by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, and the department shall pay that amount to the sheriff for each inmate. (4) The amount paid for each inmate pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this Subsection shall be in addition to the amount paid pursuant to R.S. 15:824(B)(1)(a). F. The department shall be responsible for the tracking and collection of recidivism rates of inmates relative to the criteria in Subsection D of this Section and may adjust the criteria from time to time to reflect reduced recidivism. G. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections is hereby authorized to provide inmates housed in parish jails with access to as many support services as possible to increase the likelihood of successful reentry into society and to reduce recidivism. If any inmate violates the conditions prescribed by the sheriff or the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the inmate's program privileges may be withdrawn. H. The provisions of this Section shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose and to the extent that is consistent with available resources. If any funding for the program is not adequate to cover the costs of payments provided to the sheriff in Subsection E of this Section, payments may be reduced proportionately relative to available funding and the secretary may limit the number of participating parishes to serve as pilot locations for the program. Acts 2022, No. 379, §1.