Drug Court Factoid

Drug Courts have proven to reduce crime, save money, ensure compliance, combat methamphetamine addiction and restore families.

+ Drug Courts Reduce Crime
FACT: Nationwide, 75% of Drug Court graduates remain arrest-free at least two years after leaving the program.
FACT: Rigorous studies examining long-term outcomes of individual Drug Courts have found that reductions in crime last at least 3 years and can endure for over 14 years.
FACT: The most rigorous and conservative scientific “meta-analyses” have all concluded that Drug Courts significantly reduce crime as much as 35 percent more than other sentencing options.

+ Drug Courts Save Money
FACT: Nationwide, for every $1.00 invested in Drug Court, taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone.
FACT: When considering other cost offsets such as savings from reduced victimization and healthcare service utilization, studies have shown benefits range up to $12 for every $1 invested.
FACT: Drug Courts produce cost savings ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 per client. These cost savings reflect reduced prison costs, reduced revolving-door arrests and trials, and reduced victimization.
FACT: In 2007, for every Federal dollar invested in Drug Court, $9.00 was leveraged in state funding.

+ Drug Courts Ensure Compliance
FACT: Unless substance abusing/addicted offenders are regularly supervised by a judge and held accountable, 70% drop out of treatment prematurely.
FACT: Drug Courts provide more comprehensive and closer supervision than other community-based supervision programs.
FACT: Drug Courts are six times more likely to keep offenders in treatment long enough for them to get better.

+ Drug Courts Combat methamphetamine addiction
FACT: For methamphetamine-addicted people, Drug Courts increase treatment program graduation rates by nearly 80%.
FACT: When compared to eight other programs, Drug Courts quadrupled the length of abstinence from methamphetamine.
FACT: Drug Courts reduce methamphetamine use by more than 50% compared to outpatient treatment alone.

+ Drug Courts Restore Families
FACT: Parents in Family Drug Court are more likely to go to treatment and complete it.
FACT: Children of Family Drug Court participants spend significantly less time in out-of-home placements such as foster care.
FACT: Family re-unification rates are 50% higher for Family Drug Court participants.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer