Press Release: January 6, 2026
St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office
Grant Funded Opioid Addiction Education Course
This program is held in conjunction with Woodlake Addiction Recovery Center, with Matthew Corely,
CIT (Counselor-In-Training) and Noah Menard, CIT.
This program is based on the traditions and principles of the 12-step programs and the founding Oxford
Group. The Four Absolutes – Honesty, Unselfishness, Love and Purity with the guiding keys of the
Beatitudes were the basics of the Oxford Group from which Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step
programs initiated.
Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz has initiated this program within the St. Landry Parish Jail, utilizing funds
received from the Opioid class-action settlement. Major Josie Lazare, Lt. Lelonda Lewis and Lt. Nia
Henry are the instrumental keys to the implementation and supervision of this program. 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. 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.
The first session began on October 2, 2025 and resulted in 12 inmates completing the program.
Certificates were issued, which reads (in part):
“…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.”
With the resounding success of the first session, Sheriff Guidroz is willing to commit additional resources
to accommodate even larger classes. This demonstrates the desire to step up and take pro-active
measures to mitigate the return of individuals to incarceration. As Sheriff Guidroz put it, “Clearing the
way, removing the obstructions created by trauma and opioid addiction to a path that does not return to
jail.”
