Drug Court
Drug Court
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“If you don't like paying for jails, if you don't like a waste of tax dollars, then you'll like the concept of drug courts.
This is an initiative that's been working."
- General Barry McCaffrey, former Director of the Office of U.S. National Drug Control Policy |
Drug courts can be defined as "special court calendars or dockets designed to achieve a reduction in recidivism and substance abuse among nonviolent, substance abusing offenders by increasing their likelihood for successful rehabilitation through early, continuous, and intense judicially supervised treatment; mandatory periodic drug testing; and the use of appropriate sanctions and other rehabilitation services"
(Drug Courts: Overview of Growth, Characteristics, and Results, Government Accountability Office, 1997)
Drug court diverts non-violent, substance abusing offenders from prison and jail into treatment.
By increasing direct supervision of offenders, coordinating public resources, and expediting case processing, drug court can help break the cycle of criminal behavior, alcohol and drug use, and incarceration.
A decade of research indicates that drug court reduces crime by lowering re-arrest and conviction rates, improving substance abuse treatment outcomes, and reuniting families, and also produces measurable cost benefits.
(The Office of National Drug Control Policy).
The Drug Court for Kings County was created by the Board of Supervisors in 2008, and began rendering services in 2009.
This new, innovative, and evidence bases approach is a joint effort in Kings County between government agencies and community agencies.
