Storch for District Court Judge

Why Durham Needs Drug Treatment Court

What is Drug Treatment Court?  It is a special court that handles cases involving drug-using offenders through comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment, regular court appearances, and immediate sanctions and incentives, thereby forcing the offender to deal with his or her substance abuse.

Most courts meet on a bi-weekly basis and participants are subject to frequent random drug screening.  They also receive intensive group and individual therapy that targets the underlying reliance and addiction to controlled substances or alcohol.  Regular AA or NA meetings are required (Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous).

Does it work?  Since 1989, when the 1st Drug Treatment Court was established in North Carolina, 300,000 offenders have participated in Drug Treatment Court.  As of 1997 (last time figures were evaluated), 71% had completed the program successfully.  The average recidivism rate for DTC graduates is only 29%, as compared with 48% for those who do not participate.

In terms of dollars expended, it costs approximately $35,000 to incarcerate someone for one year but only $3,250 per person to participate in DTC.  This year alone, North Carolina’s 42 Drug Treatment Courts are expected to graduate 500 participants.  The math is simple: 500 graduates at $3,250 each results in a total cost to taxpayers of $1,625,000.  If drug treatment courts are eliminated, as proposed in the State’s most recent budget proposal, the State will have to foot the bill of $17,500,000 to house those same people in local jails or state prisons.  And this figure doesn’t even consider the long term savings of the reduced recidivism.  Any way you look at the proposed budget cuts, which are an attempt to save 1.9 million dollars by eliminating 30 positions, it is just penny wise and dollar foolish thinking.  But because something works, that has never been a reason for politicians to leave things alone.  In these tough economic times, Durham county commissioners and state legislators are going through the budget with a fine toothed comb, looking for any funding that appears to be excessive and trimming it from the budget.

The bottom line is that Drug Treatment Court  saves money, a lot of money, i.e., more than 15.8 million dollars per year.  And it changes the lives of its participants for the better while unburdening the local court system and making our community a safer place to live.  If any change is to be made, funding and staffing should be bumped up in these increasingly desperate times when drug related crimes tend to increase.

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