La. Code Crim. Proc. art. 895 — LA Code / Code code-of-criminal-procedure / Article 895
Conditions of probation
Status: in_force

A. When the court places a defendant on probation, it shall require the defendant to refrain from criminal conduct and to pay a supervision fee to defray the costs of probation supervision, and it may impose any specific conditions reasonably related to his rehabilitation, including any of the following. That the defendant shall:

(1) Make a full and truthful report at the end of each month;

(2) Meet his specified family responsibilities, including any obligations imposed in a court order of child support;

(3) Report to the probation officer as directed;

(4) Permit the probation officer to visit him at his home or elsewhere;

(5) Devote himself to an approved employment or occupation;

(6) Refrain from owning or possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons;

(7) Make reasonable reparation or restitution to the aggrieved party for damage or loss caused by his offense in an amount to be determined by the court;

(8) Refrain from frequenting unlawful or disreputable places or consorting with disreputable persons;

(9) Remain within the jurisdiction of the court and get the permission of the probation officer before making any change in his address or his employment; and

(10) Devote himself to an approved reading program at his cost if he is unable to read the English language.

(11) Perform community service work.

(12) Submit himself to available medical, psychiatric, mental health, or substance abuse examination or treatment or both when deemed appropriate and ordered to do so by the probation and parole officer.

(13)(a) Agree to searches of his person, his property, his place of residence, his vehicle, or his personal effects, or any or all of them, at any time, by the probation or parole officer assigned to him or by any probation or parole officer who is subsequently assigned or directed by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to supervise the person, whether the assignment or directive is temporary or permanent, with or without a warrant of arrest or with or without a search warrant, when the probation officer or the parole officer has reasonable suspicion to believe that the person who is on probation is engaged in or has been engaged in criminal activity.

(b) For those persons who have been convicted of a "sex offense" as defined in R.S. 15:541, agree to searches of his person, his property, his place of residence, his vehicle, or his personal effects, or any or all of them, at any time, by a law enforcement officer, duly commissioned in the parish or municipality where the sex offender resides or is domiciled, designated by his agency to supervise sex offenders, with or without a warrant of arrest or with or without a search warrant, when the officer has reasonable suspicion to believe that the person who is on probation is engaged in or has been engaged in criminal activity for which the person has not been charged or arrested while on probation.

B.(1) In felony cases, an additional condition of the probation may be that the defendant shall serve a term of imprisonment without hard labor for a period not to exceed two years.

(2) In felony cases assigned to the drug division probation program pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 13:5304, the court may impose as a condition of probation that the defendant successfully complete the intensive incarceration program established pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4.4. If the defendant is not accepted into the intensive incarceration program or fails to successfully complete the intensive incarceration program, the court shall reconsider the sentence imposed as provided in Article 881.1.

(3) In felony cases, an additional condition of the probation may be that the defendant be ordered to be committed to the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and be required to serve a sentence of not more than twelve months without diminution of sentence in the intensive incarceration program pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 15:574.4.4. Upon successful completion of the program, the defendant shall return to supervised probation for a period of time as ordered by the court, subject to any additional conditions imposed by the court and under the same provisions of law under which the defendant was originally sentenced. If an offender is denied entry into the intensive incarceration program for physical or mental health reasons or for failure to meet the department's suitability criteria, the department shall notify the sentencing court, and the offender shall be resentenced in accordance with the provisions of Article 881.1.

C. In cases of violations of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, the court may order the suspension or restriction of the defendant's driving privileges, if any, for all or part of the period of probation. In such cases, a copy of the order shall be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which shall suspend the defendant's driver's license or issue a restricted license in accordance with the orders of the court. Additionally, the court may order the defendant to:

(1) Submit to and pay all costs for drug testing by an approved laboratory at the direction of his probation officer.

(2) Perform not less than one hundred sixty hours nor more than nine hundred sixty hours of community service work.

D. The court may, in lieu of the monthly supervision fee provided for in Paragraph A, require the defendant to perform a specified amount of community service work each month if the court finds the defendant is unable to pay the supervision fee provided for in Paragraph A.

E. Before the court places a sexual offender on probation, it shall order the offender who has not previously been tested to submit to a blood and saliva test in accordance with R.S. 15:535. All costs shall be paid by the offender. Serial sexual offenders sentenced pursuant to R.S. 15:537(B) shall not be eligible for parole or probation.

F. In cases of any violation of Subpart (A)(1) of Part V of Chapter 1 of Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 or R.S. 14:92(7), the court may order the defendant to submit to psychological evaluation and, if indicated, order him to obtain psychiatric or psychological counseling for all or part of the period of probation. All costs shall be paid by the defendant.

G. Before the court places the defendant on probation, it shall determine if the defendant has a high school degree or its equivalent and, if the defendant does not, it shall order the defendant to take a reading proficiency test. If the defendant scores below a sixth grade level on the reading proficiency test, the court shall condition probation upon the defendant's enrolling in and attending an adult education or reading program until he attains a sixth grade reading level or until his term of probation expires, whichever occurs first. All costs shall be paid by the defendant. If the court finds that there are no adult education or reading programs in the parish in which the defendant is domiciled, the defendant is unable to afford such a program, or attendance would create an undue hardship on the defendant, the court may suspend this condition of probation. The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to those defendants who are mentally, physically, or by reason of age, infirmity, dyslexia or other such learning disorders unable to participate.

H.(1) In cases where the defendant has been convicted of or adjudication has been deferred or withheld for the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541, and probation is permitted by law and when the court places a defendant on probation, the court shall order the offender to register as a sex offender and to provide notification in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 15:540 et seq.

(2) The defendant must state under oath where he will reside after sentencing and that he will advise the court of any subsequent change of address during the probationary period.

(3) No offender who is the parent, stepparent, or has legal custody and physical custody of the child who is the victim shall be released on probation unless the victim has received psychological counseling prior to the offender's release if the offender is returning to the residence or community in which the child resides. Such psychological counseling shall include an attempt by the health care provider to ease the psychological impact upon the child of the notice required under Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph, including assisting the child in coping with potential insensitive comments and actions by the child's neighbors and peers. The cost of such counseling shall be paid by the offender.

(4) Repealed by Acts 2007, No. 460, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2008.

(5) The court may order that the conditions of probation as provided for in Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph shall apply for each subsequent change of address made by the defendant during the probationary period.

I.(1) In cases where the defendant has been convicted of or where adjudication has been deferred or withheld for the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 and the victim of that offense is a minor, the court may, if the department has the equipment and appropriately trained personnel, as an additional condition of probation, authorize the use of truth verification examinations to determine if the defendant has violated a condition of probation. If ordered by the court as a condition of probation, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, division of probation and parole, is hereby authorized to administer a truth verification examination pursuant to the court order and the provisions of this Paragraph.

(2) Any examination conducted pursuant to the provisions of this Paragraph shall be subsequent to an allegation that the defendant has violated a condition of probation or at the discretion of the probation officer who has reason to believe that the defendant has violated a condition of probation.

(3) The truth verification examination shall be conducted by a trained and certified polygraphist or voice stress examiner.

(4) The results of the truth verification examination may be considered in determining the level of supervision and treatment needed by the defendant and in the determination of the probation officer as to whether the defendant has violated a condition of probation; however, such results shall not be used as evidence in court to prove that a violation of a condition of probation has occurred.

(5) The sexual offender may request a second truth verification examination to be conducted by a trained and certified polygraphist or voice stress examiner of his choice. The cost of the second examination shall be borne by the offender.

(6) For purposes of this Article:

(a) "Polygraph examination" shall mean an examination conducted with the use of an instrument or apparatus for simultaneously recording cardiovascular pressure, pulse and respiration, and variations in electrical resistance of the skin.

(b) "Truth verification examination" shall include a polygraph examination or a voice stress analysis.

(c) "Voice stress analysis" shall mean an examination conducted with the use of an instrument or apparatus which records psychophysiological stress responses that are present in a human voice when a person suffers psychological stress in response to a stimulus.

J. The defendant shall be given a certificate setting forth the conditions of his probation and shall be required to agree in writing to the conditions.

K. In cases where the defendant has been convicted of an offense involving criminal sexual activity, the court shall order as a condition of probation that the defendant successfully complete a sex offender treatment program. As part of the sex offender treatment program, the offender shall participate with a victim impact panel or program providing a forum for victims of criminal sexual activity and sex offenders to share experiences on the impact of the criminal sexual activity in their lives. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall establish guidelines to implement victim impact panels where, in the judgment of the licensed professional responsible for the sexual treatment program, appropriate victims are available, and shall establish guidelines for other programs where such victims are not available. All costs for the sex offender treatment program shall be paid by the offender.

L. A conviction for any offense involving criminal sexual activity as provided for in Paragraph H of this Article, includes a conviction for an equivalent offense under the laws of another state. Criminal sexual offenders under the supervision and legal authority of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections pursuant to the terms and conditions of the interstate compact agreement provided for in R.S. 15:574.31 et seq. shall be notified of the registration requirements provided for in this Article at the time the department accepts supervision and has legal authority of the individual.

M.(1) In all cases where the defendant has been convicted of an offense of domestic abuse as provided in R.S. 46:2132(3) to a family or household member as provided in R.S. 46:2132(4), or of an offense of dating violence as provided in R.S. 46:2151(C) to a dating partner as provided in R.S. 46:2151(B), the court shall order that the defendant submit to and successfully complete a court-approved course of counseling or therapy related to family or dating violence, for all or part of the period of probation. If the defendant has already completed such a counseling program, said counseling requirement shall be required only upon a finding by the court that such counseling or therapy would be effective in preventing future domestic abuse or dating violence.

(2) All costs for the counseling or therapy shall be paid by the offender. In addition, the court may order that the defendant pay an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars to a family violence program located in the parish where the offense of domestic abuse occurred.

N. If a defendant is injured or suffers other loss in the performance of community service work required as a condition of probation, neither the state nor any political subdivision, nor any officer, agent, or employee of the state or political subdivision shall be liable for any such injury or loss, unless the injury or loss was caused by the gross negligence or intentional acts of the officer, agent, or employee of the state or political subdivision. No provision of this Paragraph shall negate any requirement that an officer, agent, or employee secure proper and appropriate medical assistance for a defendant who is injured while performing community service work and in need of immediate medical attention.

O.(1) Any mentor of an offender on probation under the supervision of any court division created pursuant to R.S. 13:5304, 5354, 5366, or 5401 shall not be liable for any injury or loss caused or suffered by an offender that arises out of the performance of duties as a mentor, unless the injury or loss was caused by the gross negligence or intentional acts of the mentor.

(2) Neither the court nor any officer, agent, or employee of the court shall be liable for any injury or loss to the offender, the mentor, or any third party for the actions of the mentor or the offender.

(3) As provided in this Subsection, "mentor" means a person approved by the court who volunteers to provide support and personal, educational, rehabilitation, and career guidance to the offender during probation and who has either completed a court-approved mentor training program or who has successfully completed his sentence pursuant to R.S. 13:5304, 5354, 5366, or 5401.

(4) Nothing in this Subparagraph shall affect the vicarious liability of the employer pursuant to Civil Code Article 2320 or the ability of an employee to file a claim for workers' compensation.

P.(1) When a defendant who is on probation is employed by another person or entity, the probation officer who supervises the defendant shall schedule meetings, which are required as a condition of the defendant's probation, at such times and locations that take into consideration and accommodate the work schedule of the defendant.

(2) To comply with the provisions of Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph, in lieu of requiring the defendant to appear in-person for the required reporting or meetings, the probation officer may utilize technology portals, including cellular telephone and other electronic communication devices, that allow simultaneous voice and video communication in real time between the defendant and the probation officer. Such technology may also be used for required reporting or meetings of a defendant on probation who is self-employed at the discretion of the defendant's probation officer and in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections pursuant to this Paragraph.

(3) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Paragraph. The rules promulgated by the department pursuant to this Paragraph shall include but are not limited to minimum standards and guidelines for the authorized technology and how it may be used as well as standards for determining the eligibility and suitability of defendants on probation to meet their reporting requirements through the use of such technology. The eligibility and suitability standards shall include consideration of the severity of the defendant's underlying criminal conviction, criminal history, supervision level, and past supervision history.

Amended by Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 57, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 58, §2, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 70, §2; Acts 1995, No. 605, §1, eff. June 18, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 906, §1; Acts 1995, No. 928, §2; Acts 1995, No. 1266, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 1290, §3; Acts 1995, No. 1291, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1303, §2; Acts 1997, No. 134, §1; Acts 1997, No.137, §1; Acts 1997, No. 520, §1; Acts 1997, No. 602, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1148, §1, eff. July 14, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 1150, §2; Acts 1999, No. 1157, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1209, §2; Acts 2001, No. 1206, §3; Acts 2003, No. 750, §2; Acts 2007, No. 460, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 655; Acts 2008, No. 451, §1, eff. June 25, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 168, §1; Acts 2009, No. 362, §1; Acts 2012, No. 705, §2; Acts 2014, No. 271, §1; Acts 2016, No. 655, §1; Acts 2018, No. 351, §1; Acts 2020, No. 98, §2.