Pubdate: Fri, 02 Jan 2004 Source: Oklahoman, The (OK) Copyright: 2004 The Oklahoma Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.oklahoman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318 A CASE FOR DRUG COURTS THE NEED for more drug courts and other sentencing alternatives for Oklahoma women convicted of drug crimes continues to become more clear. The draft report of a legislatively authorized committee brings forth plenty of reasons to rethink the way women convicted of crimes, particularly drug-related incidents, are dealt with in Oklahoma's criminal justice system. It calls on officials to look at the use of mental health courts as a sentencing option, the establishment of more drug courts and the creation of more long-term intensive treatment placements for women and their children. The recommendations appear to be thoughtful responses to a problem that is costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars annually when alternatives could save money and result in a better outcome for women and their children. Since 1993, Oklahoma has imprisoned more women on a per-capita basis than in any other state. Several states have higher female arrest rates but incarcerate far fewer than Oklahoma, which tends to imprison more women for drug-related crimes. States with lower incarceration rates spend more for state-supported alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs than high incarceration states, according to the report. Oklahoma's per capita expenditure for state-supported alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs is less than half the U.S. average. The report, authorized by Senate Bill 810, also found that female prisoners are more expensive than their male counterparts because they require more medical care. Women also are typically the custodial parents, meaning many children end up in state-funded foster care while their mothers serve prison terms. As we've pointed out in this space before, drug courts are a good alternative for nonviolent offenders because they cost less and the participants are less likely to end up back in prison than those put on traditional probation. In Oklahoma, the results for women participants have been more encouraging than those for men. The state has made a good start with the drug courts already established but the need exists for more. It takes more work to help drug addicts kick the habit and re-establish themselves as good citizens. But the impact it will have on the state's pocketbook, and more importantly its effect on the lives of women and their children, will be well worth the effort. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake