STATE MUST INVEST IN DRUG COURTS

Name a program that: 1) Is a proven method for treating and rehabilitating
drug users; and 2) saves taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, it is also a program that Mississippi lawmakers have
repeatedly refused to fund. The answer is "drug courts."

Two bills before the Mississippi Legislature would help create a statewide
drug court system.

However, for this objective to become a reality, lawmakers will need to
rise above their myopic, shortsighted approach to crime and punishment and
do something they've been unwilling to do: Make a capital investment in a
proven, effective, crime-fighting program - one that will pay huge
dividends in the years ahead.

On Monday, state Auditor Phil Bryant held a news conference at the state
Capitol and announced the results of a study conducted by his office.
According to Bryant, Mississippi could save $5.4 million a year if 500
people successfully completed drug court programs in our state.

Will Bryant's study - and his strong advocacy of drug courts - sway
lawmakers to take action?

It's hard to say. After all, Bryant is simply saying what other drug-court
proponents - most notably, 14th Circuit Court Judge Keith Starrett - have
been saying for years: That drug courts are an effective, cost-effective
way to combat drug abuse and drug-related crime.

Implementing a statewide drug court system - there are currently about half
a dozen drug courts in operation throughout the state - would have a
four-fold effect in Mississippi. It would: 1) Save money (it costs the
state about $16,000 annually to incarcerate a convicted drug offender in
state prison; by contrast, it costs about $5,000 a year to put an offender
through a drug court program); 2) Free-up prison space for other offenders;
3) Restore lives and families (people who complete drug court programs
often become productive citizens); and 4) Reduce the number of burglaries
and property crimes, many of which are drug-related.

Drug courts allow those convicted of drug offenses to choose between jail
or treatment. But drug court is no picnic. Those who participate must
adhere to a strict regimen: They must attend weekly meetings, hold jobs,
pass regular drug tests and pay court costs.

Drug courts work!

It's time for lawmakers to recognize this undeniable truth and make a
capital investment in this program.