A CASE FOR DRUG COURTS

THE NEED for more drug courts and other sentencing alternatives for
Oklahoma women convicted of drug crimes continues to become more
clear. The draft report of a legislatively authorized committee brings
forth plenty of reasons to rethink the way women convicted of crimes,
particularly drug-related incidents, are dealt with in Oklahoma's
criminal justice system.

It calls on officials to look at the use of mental health courts as a
sentencing option, the establishment of more drug courts and the
creation of more long-term intensive treatment placements for women
and their children. The recommendations appear to be thoughtful
responses to a problem that is costing the state hundreds of thousands
of dollars annually when alternatives could save money and result in a
better outcome for women and their children.

Since 1993, Oklahoma has imprisoned more women on a per-capita basis
than in any other state. Several states have higher female arrest
rates but incarcerate far fewer than Oklahoma, which tends to imprison
more women for drug-related crimes.

States with lower incarceration rates spend more for state-supported
alcohol and other drug abuse treatment programs than high
incarceration states, according to the report. Oklahoma's per capita
expenditure for state-supported alcohol and other drug abuse treatment
programs is less than half the U.S. average.

The report, authorized by Senate Bill 810, also found that female
prisoners are more expensive than their male counterparts because they
require more medical care. Women also are typically the custodial
parents, meaning many children end up in state-funded foster care
while their mothers serve prison terms.

As we've pointed out in this space before, drug courts are a good
alternative for nonviolent offenders because they cost less and the
participants are less likely to end up back in prison than those put
on traditional probation. In Oklahoma, the results for women
participants have been more encouraging than those for men.

The state has made a good start with the drug courts already
established but the need exists for more. It takes more work to help
drug addicts kick the habit and re-establish themselves as good
citizens. But the impact it will have on the state's pocketbook, and
more importantly its effect on the lives of women and their children,
will be well worth the effort.