DRUG COURT

A Bargain For All

When it comes to punishing many of its drug offenders, Oklahoma has a
choice: It can build more prisons or it can rebuild lives.

Tulsa's Drug Court, the first in the state, is trying to do the latter. Of
the 59 people who have graduated from the court-supervised rehabilitation
program, none has been rearrested on drug charges. Statistics show that if
the same number had not gone through the intensive program, up to 70
percent were likely to become repeat offenders.

Those eligible for Drug Court are nonviolent, first-time offenders.
Offenders must admit they have a problem, need treatment and want to be
treated in the lengthy 12-step program that includes therapy sessions.

"Unless they can stand before me and say boldly and with conviction, yes to
those three things, they don't come in," said Drug Court Judge Linda
Morrissey.

The average participant spends 15 months in the program. Participants are
required to pass drug tests, and initially to spend 15 hours a week in
group therapy and four to five hours in 12-step programs. They also must
come to court once weekly.

In the history of the two-year program, 16 participants have been
terminated for noncompliance. Currently, there are 230 participants.

A quarter of Oklahoma's prison inmates are serving time on drug- related
offenses -- the largest percentage of any crime. Those who go to prison
have a 50 percent recidivism rate once they get out. Statistics from other
states with established drug courts show that those who were treated
through a drug-court program face a recidivism rate of only 5 percent to 20
percent.

While almost none of Oklahoma's prison inmates was incarcerated for a
first-time drug offense, it is likely that if many had received treatment
earlier they wouldn't have ended up behind bars.

To expand, Tulsa's Drug Court needs more money, Morrissey said. Considering
the exorbitant cost of incarceration -- not to mention building new prisons
- -- it makes sense to put money at the front-end of the drug problem.

We can pay now, and reap dividends. Or, we can pay a much higher price down
the road.

Checked-by: Richard Lake