Drug Courts Proliferate NationallyJune 1, 2005
Research Summary
A new report from the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) finds that the number of drug courts in the U.S. has increased 37 percent over the past year, and has doubled since 2001, the Providence Journal reported May 31.The report, "Painting the Current Picture: A National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem-Solving Court Programs in the United States," found 1,621 drug courts operating at the end of 2004, up from 847 in 2001.
"Drug courts are literally becoming a way of doing business in the courts," said NDCI director C. West Huddleston III. "Solving problems is becoming a more accepted idea, as opposed to just disposing of cases and either putting people in prison or putting them on probation with few treatment alternatives."
Huddleston said that studies show that drug courts produce an average of $6,779 in avoided costs to the justice system and victims by cutting down on the prison population and reducing recidivism. He added that the power of drug courts rests with the combination of addiction treatment and judicial oversight. "Collaboration without the power of a judge is not as effective," he said.
An additional 215 communities are currently planning drug courts, and another 263 have applied to the federal government for startup funding.
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