Transitional facilities

A. (1) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections is hereby authorized to create, establish, operate, contract, and maintain transitional facilities for incarcerated veterans identified as veterans of the United States Armed Forces. The facilities shall be established in such places throughout the state as are deemed necessary by the secretary or his designee. (2) Such facilities shall be operated and maintained for those offenders who serve as mentors for the Veterans Court probation program and those veterans who have strong rehabilitation potential. Existing transitional work release program facilities, otherwise known as work release, may be used to provide services and opportunities to the veterans participating in the program to benefit both the veterans participating and the parish jails. B. All transitional facilities established pursuant to this Part shall comply with the provisions of R.S. 15:1111. C. The department or its agent may allow participants in the program who are veterans to utilize the services of the local hospital, center, or clinic operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs for mental health services, medical care, and any other earned eligible benefits due to service, at no expense to the state.