Making a Positive Impact

Is drug court an option for you?

On Behalf of | Apr 7, 2020 | Firm News |

Substance abuse tends to make people behave in ways they otherwise may not. If you are among them, you may be facing drug-related criminal charges, and you may be thinking it is about time to start turning your life around.

Doing so may prove difficult if your criminal conviction winds up landing you in jail. However, the National Drug Court Resource Center reports that if your crime was not a violent one, you may be able to enter a state drug court instead of serving time in jail or prison. Ultimately, whether drug court is a viable option for you is going to depend on whether you have an existing criminal history. The severity and other details surrounding your crime may also determine eligibility. If you are able to enter a drug court program, though, you may find that it benefits you and your community in several important ways.

Drug court objectives

Many jails and prisons across the nation suffer from chronic overcrowding issues, but drug courts help alleviate some of these problems. First, they help keep non-violent criminal offenders from taking up beds behind bars. Second, they recognize that the substance abuse problem, itself, is often the root cause for an offender’s behavior, and they seek to treat the addiction accordingly.

Drug court benefits

So, do drug courts actually help you? Statistically, drug courts have the potential to help you overcome your substance abuse problem, and they also help you avoid re-entering the criminal justice system later on. In fact, the most successful drug courts in the nation report that they reduce recidivism by as much as 40%. Drug courts also result in big savings for communities. Each time an offender goes to drug court, rather than jail or prison, a community saves about $6,744.

If you are currently facing criminal charges, enrolling in drug court may help give you the fresh start you need and desire.

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