DRUG COURTS: BUDGET HELPERS, NOT BUSTERS

Implementing drug courts statewide in Mississippi should not be an idea
that's put on the back burner until the state's coffers are replenished.
They should be pursued precisely as a way to address the sluggish revenue
stream. Drug courts are a sensible, cost-effective way to deal with
offenders whose addiction drove them to steal or commit other nonviolent
crimes.

Drug courts are much cheaper than incarceration. It costs approximately
$17,000 annually to house an inmate, compared to $1,500 to $2,000 for a
person to complete a drug court program, says Keith Starrett, the southwest
Mississippi circuit court judge who pioneered the experiment in
Mississippi. Even if one prefers State Auditor Phil Bryant's estimated cost
per participant - $5,000 - the savings are still substantial.

Plus, drug courts have a better chance of rehabilitating offenders than
does prison. Those who participate in drug courts are required to get
counseling and regular drug screening. They are able to work, which allows
them to make restitution to the victims of their crimes, to help pay for
their treatment and to provide for their own families. They have to
regularly report on their progress to the courts. If they fail to toe the
line, off they go to prison.

Mississippi lawmakers, when they arrive in Jackson next month, will resume
their ongoing struggle with the state's tight finances. A significant part
of the pinch is caused by the steeply rising costs of lawmakers'
incarceration-heavy mentality.

When a poor state like Mississippi locks up an inordinately high percentage
of its citizens, other priorities such as education, health care and
transportation suffer. There are presently nine drug courts operating in
Mississippi. Four more are planned.

The fledgling drug court in the 11th Circuit Court District, covering
Coahoma, Quitman, Bolivar and Tunica counties, is so strapped for funds
that judges have resorted to asking for private donations to continue its
operations. A primary target of the fund-raising campaign is the retail
community, which loses money hand over foot to shoplifters supporting their
drug habits.

The new drug court, if it's to be successful, will need more than small
donations from the business community. The state should step to the plate.
The Legislature this year authorized drug courts statewide, but it didn't
put any new money into the legislation to make their creation a reality.

The delay is fiscally foolish. Drug courts make as much sense in tough
financial times as in good.