Where accountability meets compassion

This May, Drug Courts throughout Montana will join over 2,500 Drug Courts nationwide in celebrating National Drug Court Month. By month’s end, thousands of individuals who entered the criminal justice system addicted to drugs and facing incarceration will complete Drug Court and emerge as productive, taxpaying citizens.

National Drug Court Month arrives amid renewed interest in criminal justice reform. The ongoing budget crisis has compelled national and state leaders to closely examine our criminal justice system to see how best to reduce our costly overreliance on incarceration. Sentencing and prison reform is a start, but if we are serious about reducing substance abuse, crime, and recidivism while saving money for taxpayers, then we must continue to expand Drug Courts.

In 1996, the first Drug Court in Montana opened its doors with a simple premise: rather than continue to allow individuals with long histories of drug abuse and crime to cycle through the criminal justice system at great expense to the public, use the leverage of the court to keep them engaged in drug treatment long enough to be successful. Today, Drug Courts have proven that a combination of accountability and compassion can not only save lives, but save valuable resources and reduce exorbitant criminal justice costs.

More research has been published on the effects of Drug Courts than virtually all other criminal justice programs combined. Recently, the U.S. Government Accountability Office submitted a report to the Congress confirming Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and crime and save money. Moreover, studies show that the more serious an individual’s drug addiction and the longer his or her criminal record, the better Drug Courts work. This approach not only diverts individuals from a life of drug abuse and crime, but has been proven to reduce use of jail or prison beds and family conflicts associated with domestic violence and child abuse. In December, the Government Accountability Office submitted a report to Congress confirming Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and crime and save money.

Montana is now home to over 20 Drug Courts and is setting a national standard for smart on crime justice policies that reduce recidivism and save money. These programs keep our roads safe from drunk drivers, intervene before our youth embark on a debilitating life of drug abuse and crime, and give parents the tools they need to stay clean and maintain custody of their children.

Drug Courts represent a path ahead that will not only save critical money for taxpayers, but save the lives of our neighbors and our troops suffering the ravages of addiction and mental illness. This year’s National Drug Court Month celebration should signal that the time has come to reap the economic and societal benefits of expanding this proven budget solution to all in need.