Pubdate: Sun, 14 Sep 2003
Source: Cleveland Daily Banner (TN)
Copyright: 2003 Cleveland Daily Banner
Contact:  http://www.clevelandbanner.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/947
Author: Jerry Estes
Note: Author is a District Attorney

DRUG COURTS HAVING SUCCESS

In my contacts with prosecutors in recent years, I have heard more and more 
talk about drug courts. Drug courts have been around since 1989, and have 
established enough of a record to give us some idea of whether they are 
effective.

American University tells us that more than 300,000 drug-using offenders 
have participated in drug courts since their inception. According to the 
National Drug Court Institute, there are currently 946 drug courts in 
operation in the United States with another 411 in the planning process.

Of those in operation, over half are for adults and about a fourth are for 
juveniles. Others service both adults and juveniles, and some are family 
drug courts.

A drug court is a special court that is given the responsibility of 
focusing on drug-using offenders. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports 
that two-thirds of all probationers may be considered drug and alcohol 
involved; therefore, drug courts can impact almost all crime that a 
community experiences.

Drug courts are empowered to focus on the problem with effective tools. 
These tools include putting drug-using offenders through comprehensive 
supervision, drug testing, treatment services, and, very importantly, 
immediate sanctions and incentives.

A drug court program will cause judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, 
substance abuse treatment specialists, probation officers, law enforcement, 
correctional personnel, educational and vocational experts, community 
leaders and many others to work together to bring their full weight to bear 
in forcing the offender to deal with his or her substance abuse problem. 
This is not currently available at this level within the present system.

The results have been very impressive. The Government Accounting Office 
reports a 71 percent success rate. A study by Columbia University indicates 
the average recidivism rate for those who complete the drug court program 
is between 4 and 29 percent, while it is 48 percent for those who do not 
participate in a drug court program.

Much of this success is attributed to the fact that drug courts provide 
closer, more comprehensive supervision and much more frequent drug testing 
and monitoring during the program than other forms of community 
supervision. The result is that drug use and criminal behavior are 
substantially reduced while offenders are participating in drug court.

There are other positive by-products from drug courts. The National Drug 
Court Institute claims drug courts have resulted in the birth of 1,000 
drug-free babies, 3,500 parents have been able to regain custody of 
children, 4,500 have re-engaged in the payment of child support, and 73 
percent have retained or obtained employment.

Because drug courts require frequent drug testing, intensive supervision 
and judicial monitoring, and immediate court sanctions that include terms 
of incarceration in response to program violations, drug courts are 
actually tougher on offenders. Without drug courts, the system typically 
gives the same offenders little jail time, supervision, drug testing or 
treatment, and the offenders have little reason to change their behavior.

Typically, a drug court program will begin as a diversionary program 
dealing with less serious offenders. Such programs often start out with 
charges of simple possession or under the influence charges and involve 
offenders without a prior criminal history. However, as these programs have 
proven their effectiveness in controlling drug usage and crime, they are 
often expanded to probation and drug using offenders who have committed 
nondrug offenses.

Another attractive aspect of drug courts is that they actually save money. 
Estimates of incarceration costs in this country range from $20,000 to 
$50,000 per person, per year. By contrast, the costs for a comprehensive 
drug court system range from $2,500 to $4,000 per person per year. This 
does not take into consideration the benefits that come from increased 
responsibility, productivity and reduction in other crimes. It has been 
estimated that there is a saving of $10 for every dollar invested in a drug 
court program.

Among the greatest challenges to starting up a drug court program are 
community support and establishment of necessary services. It is crucial to 
the success of the program that those involved in the criminal justice 
system work cooperatively with one another.

It is equally crucial that a community have the necessary support services 
to insure accountability and rehabilitation. These include competent and 
effective substance abuse treatment specialists, probation officers, 
vocational and educational experts and community leaders.

At the present, there is a small group of interested individuals who are 
exploring the feasibility of establishing a drug court program in the 10th 
judicial district. They deserve our enthusiastic support in this endeavor.

There is probably no family in America today that has not been adversely 
impacted by the drug problem. We have the opportunity to move forward with 
a program of proven effectiveness that will change lives for the better and 
save money in the process. Opportunity often knocks only once.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens