TERREBONNE, LOUISIANA DRUG COURT IMPACTS LIVES HOUMA, LOUISIANA -- He started experimenting with alcohol and drugs at 13. By the time he reached adulthood, the 28-year-old Thibodaux man was addicted to cocaine and alcohol and had been in trouble with Louisiana law enforcement more times than he could count. "I started with beer, went to weed, and it grew from there," he said. The man's drug addiction made school a struggle, and he finally dropped out during his senior year at the age of 21. His life, he admits now, was in a downward spiral, and he had no hope for a successful future. Then he was arrested for cocaine possession. Faced with the prospect of 10 years in a Louisiana prison, the man, whose identity is being withheld by The Courier, grasped at the only straw he had left. He signed up for Terrebonne, Louisiana Parish Drug Court -- a Louisiana program that diverts nonviolent offenders with drug problems from the traditional court system into one geared toward treating the drug problem that landed them in trouble in the first place. "If it weren't for this place, I would be in the grave or in a Louisiana prison," the man said minutes after he was recognized for successfully completing nine months of the demanding program. Now sober and healthy, he also successfully completed a six-week anger-management program and is preparing to take a test to get his high-school equivalency diploma. "I wouldn't change this life for nothing, and the other guys say the same thing," said the married father of six. "I haven't been in trouble for over three years, and the kids are happy because Daddy comes home at night." The man is one of 60 clients enrolled in the Terrebonne, Louisiana Drug Court, a program started nearly a year ago and modeled after others already operating in Louisiana. The court is a joint effort between the Terrebonne, Louisiana court system, local law enforcement, parish government and Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center. This is the way it works: Nonviolent offenders with a drug or alcohol problem enter a guilty plea prior to entering the confidential program. They then have to complete the rigorous four-phase program, which can take anywhere from 18 months to three years to complete, to avoid serving the prison sentence that accompanied the guilty plea. Once accepted, clients must undergo drug counseling, submit to random drug tests and periodically appear before Louisiana state District Judge Johnny Walker to have their progress checked. EARLY RESULTS Not enough time has elapsed for any of the program's clients to complete all four phases, although two entered Phase 3 last week. But local Louisiana officials say the program seems to be paying off. "The No. 1 problem we have in the criminal-justice system is that drug addicts go into the system, serve their time and, once they come out, go right back on the street to the same type of activities that got them into trouble in the first place," said Terrebonne, Louisiana Parish District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr. "When they complete this program, they are working, productive people who are no longer drug-addicted," he said. "We've helped address the problem instead of just punishing them for having it." The first drug court was developed in Dade County, Fla., in 1989. Today, about 1,000 operate nationwide. The first Louisiana drug court was established in 1997; Louisiana now has 30. Terrebonne, Louisiana Drug Court was in the planning stages for three years prior to being founded in May 2002. It's still early in the game, but Walker said he has already seen some success. 'POSITIVE CHANGES' "This program is really making positive changes in some of their lives," he said. "And it is very exciting for us. "This is one of the few opportunities we in the Louisiana legal community have had to help change individuals. . "And while the participants have different degrees of success, I think all of them, in some way, shape or form have benefited." The program, housed in a mobile home on Chabert Medical Center's lawn, has already exceeded expectations in terms of the number of people interested in seeking help. "We hoped for 40 in our first year; I would have called that a huge success," said Drug Court Coordinator Danny Smith. "This is a level of success we never could have imagined." Louisiana Drug Court officials are looking toward expansion. They hope to have 150 clients by the end of their second year if they can secure the money and space to treat that many. It costs $4,500 a year to treat a Louisiana Drug Court client, Smith said. Patients who are able pay $150 a month to offset the costs; federal and state money helps finance the rest. In addition to boosting enrollment, Louisiana officials also hope to add a family therapist this year to help families adjust to the ups and downs that come with treating drug addiction. NO EASY WAY OUT The program, Louisiana officials said, has not been the answer for everyone who has walked through their doors. Six clients have opted to serve their prison time rather than complete the program. "When they come into the program, a lot of them think, deep down inside, that this is an easy way out of prison," Smith said. "Once they get in, many of them think prison might be easier." Clients must sincerely be ready to live a clean and sober life to be successful, he said. Even those who do want change their lifestyles sometimes slip. The penalty for doing so means a short stint in the Louisiana parish jail -- anywhere from one to 90 days. Eighteen clients went to jail last week for violating rules. The infractions ranged from visiting local barrooms to not attending required meetings. 'I'M PROUD OF ME' "We don't want them in those kinds of places; the judge tells them all the time to beware of people, places and things," Smith said. "We don't want them taking baby steps." The Thibodaux, Louisiana man said he had been sober 22 months when he slipped up and got drunk. The 48-hours he spent in jail for the infraction was what finally got his attention and persuaded him to change. "That's what did it," he said. "Knowing there were consequences, that if I didn't do right, I would be facing 10 years in Louisiana state prison." Now six months sober, he said he finally understands that he can't be successful and happy and be drug-addicted. "They saved my life," he said. "Every friend I got said there was no way I was going to make it through Drug Court, but I am. And I'm proud of me."