THE VERDICT IS IN...
In 20 years since the first Drug Court was founded, there has been more research published on the effects of Drug Courts than on virtually all other criminal justice programs combined.
The scientific community has put Drug Courts under a microscope and concluded that Drug Courts work. Better than jail or prison. Better than probation and treatment alone. Drug Courts significantly reduce drug use and crime and are more cost-effective than any other proven criminal justice strategy.
Eligible persons may be sent to a Specialty Volunteer Court in lieu of traditional justice system case processing. Specialty Courts keep individuals in treatment long enough for it to work, while supervising them closely. For a minimum term of one year, participants are:
Provided with intensive treatment and other services they require to get and stay clean and sober
Held accountable by the Specialty Court judge for meeting their obligations to the court, society, themselves and their families
Regularly and randomly tested for drug use
Required to appear in court frequently so that the judge may review their progress
Rewarded for doing well or sanctioned when they do not live up to their obligations
