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| Release Date:
April 15, 2003 |
Release Number:
26 |
New Report Shows Drug Courts are Cost-Effective, Help Rebuild Lives
Drug Courts Result in $18 Million Annual Savings
San Francisco—A new report released today shows that Drug Courts result
in substantial savings to the criminal justice system as the result of
reduced prison and jail costs, lower victimization costs, reduced recidivism,
and greater case processing efficiency.
Presented to the Judicial Council of California, the report highlights
two separate studies on Drug Courts that were conducted by the council’s
Advisory Committee on Collaborative Justice.
Part of a nationwide movement, Drug Courts work with criminal justice
and social service agencies to provide an alternative to incarceration
for some drug-related offenses.
Following are key findings from the most recent Drug Court study, completed
earlier this year, which focused on Drug Court operations in Los Angeles,
San Diego, and Butte counties.
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Criminal justice costs that were avoided averaged approximately $ 200,000
annually per court for each 100 participants.
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Based on these data, with 90 adult Drug Courts operating statewide as of
2002 and an estimated 100 participants in each court annually, adult Drug
Courts may be saving up to $18 million a year in California’s criminal
justice system.
Key findings in another study co-administered by the Department of Alcohol
and Drug Programs and the Administrative Office of the Courts follow:
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Arrest rates, compiled from 17 counties for 1,945 participants who completed
drug court, declined by 85 percent in the first two years after admission,
compared to the two years before entry.
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Conviction rates for the same participants dropped by 77 percent and incarceration
rates declined by 83 percent.
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Social outcome data, compiled from 28 counties for 2,892 participants,
indicated that 70 percent of participants were employed upon completion
of drug court. Almost 62 percent were unemployed when they entered
the program.
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Ninety-six percent of the babies born to program participants, 132 babies,
were drug free at birth.
The report, Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee: Annual Progress
Report, was accepted by the Judicial Council and is available by calling
the Office of Communications at 415-865-7740.
Drug Court Web Sites
The Advisory Committee on Collaborative Justice has launched a new Web
site on Drug Courts and other collaborative justice courts. (http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/
programs/collab/)
In addition, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals has
proclaimed April 2003 as National Drug Court Month. For a national
perspective on these courts, please see http://www.nadcp.org.
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