BREAKING THE CYCLE OF DRUG-DRIVEN CRIME

News & Record

It seems we can't build new jails fast enough in this country to keep up
with all the criminals we're locking up. It's a punitive and costly
approach, and with a certain type of offender, it misses the mark.

People who work in the criminal justice system have long known that
addiction and crime are inextricably linked. Only in the last decade,
however, have the courts begun to put in place a far more effective
alternative than prison for nonviolent drug addicts who run astray of the
law -- one that attempts to get to the root of the problem. Guilford and
Buncombe counties hope to be next on board. Both have applied for a portion
of federal grant money that has allowed 14 North Carolina counties to
create drug-treatment courts since 1995.

If Guilford is chosen, it would receive about $500,000 over three years
and, in turn, would be expected to contribute about $200,000 in staff,
supplies and technical support for the new court. Each year the program
would allow 20 to 40 addicted offenders to avoid prison by agreeing to
enroll in a rigorous treatment program. During the first 90 days, they must
meet with a case manager at least once a day and submit to routine drug
screenings. They must attend at least three support group meetings a week
and appear before the same judge every other week. If they fail to live up
to the plea agreement, the deal is off and their case goes back to court.

It's well worth the investment: Early results show the program not only
reduces recidivism, it saves money as well. The state spends about $2,500
on each offender admitted into the program. By contrast, the cost of a
year's incarceration exceeds $20,000. Evaluations of programs across the
country conclude that for every dollar spent on drug-treatment courts, the
system saves $7 to $10 not spent on investigations, incarcerations, medical
costs associated with living as an addict and so on.

Lest there be doubt about the need to do something different, consider
this: A 1997 survey of inmates in state prisons showed that 51 percent were
under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they committed their crimes. A
significant number of them broke the law to feed a drug habit. Here's
hoping that two more North Carolina counties get the money they need to
establish drug-treatment courts. Some offenders certainly belong behind
bars. Others, with help, can turn their lives around without spending a day
there.