A SolutionThat Makes Sense Drug courts provide a new path
Since 2005, some defendants facing charges for drug possession in Anne Arundel County have been offered the option to choose addiction treatment rather than going to jail. Like other drug courts around the U.S., the Anne Arundel County Drug Court is designed to handle nonviolent criminal defendants and offenders, juvenile offenders, and parents with pending child welfare cases who have alcohol and other drug dependency problems. Drug courts have proven to be an effective form of intervention, and are widely recognized as such by the criminal justice system.The first drug court was implemented in Florida in 1989. As of June, 2014, there were more than 3,400 adult and juvenile drug courts active in the U.S. New Life Addiction Counseling and Mental Health Services frequently receives clients referred for treatment by the Anne Arundel County Drug Court, according to Clinical Director Noreen Ammons. Ammons says the drug court concept is valid and valuable as a “rehabilitation rather than punishment” approach to one of the major problems facing society. “Drug courts are great; we need more of them.”
“The program enables the criminal justice system to assist in a drug user’s recovery, as opposed to just picking them up, writing them up, and putting them in jail.” -Jennifer Wheeler, business development and outreach director, New Life
As of June, 2015, the Anne Arundel County Drug Court had served more than 435 participants and has had 164 graduates. In addition to saving lives and deterring victimization and recidivism, the drug court program saves money. According to data developed by the county, housing a jail inmate costs about $100 per day or $36,000 per year. During one typical week in 2015, there were 89 people participating in the Anne Arundel County program. Housing those 89 people in the county jail for one year would cost more than $3 million, according to the county. By contrast, the drug court program costs approximately $330,000 for one year, including addiction treatment costs.
“Victimless” defendants Ammons notes that most of the clients the court refers to New Life are first-time offenders and non-violent ones, and “haven’t put anyone’s life at-risk but themselves.” Once they are in the drug court program, defendants know they are being monitored and if they use drugs and have a positive urinalysis “they are going to have consequences.” New Life staff are in constant contact with the court and regularly provide reports on each client’s process, Ammons says. Drug defendants who are accepted into the drug court program, may or may not be sincere and “serious” about complying with the rules and completing the program successfully in order to have their criminal charges dropped.They show their intentions by their actions, Ammons points out. Those who do not follow the rules – including maintaining sobriety – and complete the process are returned to the criminal court. “So, it is not an easy path,” Ammons says. Ammons would like to see drug courts expanded to give more people the opportunity to access addiction treatment, and avoid having a criminal record caused by substance abuse. Jennifer Wheeler, business development and outreach director for New Life, also considers drug courts a “very positive” trend. Jails and other correctional facilities are not equipped to handle drug users who need detoxification and treatment, she points out.The drug court program enables the criminal justice system to “assist in a drug user’s recovery, as opposed to just picking them up, writing them up, and putting them in jail.”
“It is not an easy path.” —Noreen Ammons, clinical director, New Life
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