Drug Courts: Effective, Inexpensive, and Out of Reach for Many Americans

Who What Why -Drug courts provide court-supervised treatment in place of incarceration for those prosecuted for drug offenses... Taxpayers save $6,000 per drug court participant on average, according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. The programs also reduce recidivism by up to 58 percent. That means traditional parole and incarceration not only cost more but are more likely to impose future costs because they are less effective at preventing future prosecutions. In spite of these documented benefits, employment scarcity and lack of access to stable housing and transportation keep the people most in need of drug court services from participating in these programs, a new Government Accountability Office report has found.