OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) — More inmates in the St. Landry Parish Jail will have a new resource to help them successfully re-enter society.
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office has introduced a grant-funded opioid addiction education course, using money received from the opioid class-action settlement.
This program, held in conjunction with Woodlake Addiction Recovery Center, is based on 12-step programs and the founding Oxford Group.
The first session began on Oct. 2, 2025 and resulted in 12 inmates completing the program. Certificates were issued, which read: “…for completion of the 6-week Opioid Addiction Education Course grounded in the principles of the 12-step model, emphasizing education, self-awareness and personal growth toward sustained recovery.”
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With what St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz called “the resounding success” of the first session, he said he is willing to commit additional resources to accommodate even larger classes. The aim is “clearing the way, removing the obstructions created by trauma and opioid addiction to a path that does not return to jail,” Guidroz said.
Guidroz said that while the primary purpose of any jail or correctional center is to house inmates, “we must do more to mitigate the return of inmates back into jails.”
“Once we understand that the vast majority of incarcerated persons suffer from substance abuse, with opioid addiction at the top of the list, we know what we must start with,” Guidroz said. “Jails are not intended to be rehab centers, but they can provide the fundamental counselling and guidance to help addicts find the path away from incarceration and addiction.”
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