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BROADER ACCESS TO DRUG COURT WELCOME

The state Supreme Court made both a sensible and morally sound decision last week when it ruled that the state's drug-treatment program for nonviolent offenders ought to be open to those with prior convictions.  In the past, some prosecutors and judges have ruled that the program is available only to first-time offenders.

The prohibition made little sense since the program is not that old and therefore was not available to many nonviolent offenders the first time they were arrested.  It only stands to reason that a person with a drug habit is likely sooner or later to break the law again if he doesn't get help; to prohibit a drug user from accessing treatment simply because he came into the system too early or was arrested too often to qualify for it is unreasonable, especially since the court-run program is both effective and inexpensive.

Under the drug-court program, offenders are given probation only after they complete a six-month inpatient treatment program.  They are monitored closely and tested often.  Of the 885 offenders who have completed treatment and probation since the program began, only 14 percent have been re-arrested within three years, compared to a national recidivism rate of 67.5 percent.

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