National Drug Court Month

The first Drug Court was started in Miami, Florida in 1989.  Since then, Drug Courts have saved over 1.3 million lives and billions of tax dollars.  As your Rice County Attorney, I see many individuals with chemical dependency issues involved with criminal activity and social services.  The practice of arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating stops a symptom for a period of time, but does not treat the disease.  Drug Courts have proven that treatment does work when accompanied by accountability.  This May, Drug Courts throughout Minnesota will join over 2,800 Drug Courts nationwide in celebrating National Drug Court Month.  

In 1996, Hennepin County started the first Drug Court in Minnesota.  The concept of Drug Court was simple: rather than continue to allow individuals with long histories of drug abuse and crime to cycle through the criminal justice system at great expense to the public, use the leverage of the court to keep them engaged in drug treatment long enough to be successful.  Today, Drug Courts have proven that a combination of accountability and compassion not only save lives, but save valuable resources and reduce exorbitant criminal justice costs.

National Drug Court Month arrives in Rice County amid renewed interest in criminal justice reform.  Rice County leaders from a diverse group of disciplines are looking at how best to reduce our incarceration and social service costs.  Sentencing and prison reform is a start, but if we are serious about reducing substance abuse, crime, and recidivism while saving money for taxpayers, then we need a Drug Court.   The Minnesota Judicial Council will decide this month on our request for startup funding for the Rice County Drug Court.  The funding will be an investment into our currents efforts to treat drug addicts, deal with their criminal behavior, and protect the public, but more importantly the investment will pay dividends through generations of Rice County families who will have broken free from a cycle of addiction and destruction.  Once the Drug Court is operational, participants entering the program addicted to drugs and facing incarceration will emerge in 18 months as productive, taxpaying citizens.

Research on Drug Courts supports its effectiveness.  In 2012, the U.S. Government Accountability Office submitted a report to Congress confirming Drug Courts reduced substance abuse and crime and saved money.  Nationally, Drug Courts return to the community up to $27 for every $1 invested.  Drug Courts reduced crime by up to 50%, and the longest study to date shows reductions lasted an astounding 14 years.  Moreover, studies show that the more serious an individual’s drug addiction and the longer his or her criminal record, the better Drug Courts work. This approach not only diverts individuals from a life of drug abuse and crime, but has been proven to reduce use of jail or prison beds and family conflicts associated with domestic violence and child abuse.  

Minnesota is now home to over 39 Drug Courts and is setting a national standard.  Rice County hopes to be the 40th operational Drug Court.  The program will keep our roads safe from impaired drivers, intervene before our youth embark on a debilitating life of drug abuse and crime, and give parents the tools they need to stay clean and maintain custody of their children.

The Rice County Drug Court represents a path ahead that will not only save critical money for taxpayers, but save the lives of our neighbors suffering the ravages of addiction. This year’s National Drug Court Month celebration is a fitting time to start reaping the economic and societal benefits of expanding this proven budget solution to Rice County.