ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) — In St. Landry Parish, the sheriff’s office spoke on a few different programs they’ve incorporated at the St. Landry Parish Jail to help their inmates find redemption.

To make redemption available for all who seek it, Major Mark Leblanc with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office says every weekend church services are live streamed in the cell blocks and a variety of denominations come into the jail for live church services.

The live services also give inmates a chance to be baptized, with the sheriff’s office sharing photos of five inmates baptized in the jail this week.

“While the average conventional viewpoint of the average person is that correctional centers in jails and primarily for the punishment or confinement of individuals, we want to take the position that redemption is available to everybody,” said Leblanc.

Additionally, the sheriff’s office announced the beginning of their Alcoholics Anonymous program. The program features two graduates of the program volunteering their time to help in the mission to break the cycle and show God’s love.

“Redemption is something that everybody should avail themselves of. We certainly want to be a mechanism by which that can happen.” said Leblanc. “Proper incarceration of inmates is only partially done. Until you provide a mechanism for them to return back into society as functioning individuals. So, any and every program that works toward that end is something that should be done.”

A total of 46 inmates attended the first AA meeting at the jail, with many more meetings planned for the future

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