SOBER ALTERNATIVE

It takes at least 18 months of drug treatment and counseling before a
person sentenced to Oklahoma's drug court program can graduate and avoid
prison for the crimes that landed them in the program in the first place.
Those enrolled in it must have a job or be going to school and remain sober
while getting treatment.

Some of the success stories recently detailed in The Oklahoman show that
this program could be one of the most effective ways -- both in terms of
cost and crime -- to help substance abusers become productive again while
keeping them out of prison for other crimes. We hope the state can continue
to find ways to fund this program and explore ways to possibly expand it.

In six counties, just 20 percent of drug court participants in the
program's first three years have been re-arrested, compared to 80 percent
of those sent to prison on drug charges and then released. Treatment
through drug court costs $5,000 while housing an inmate in prison costs
$16,000 a year.

Drug courts operate in 28 counties and 13 additional counties have applied
for state money to establish their own. It will be difficult for the state
to match the demand to expand the program to include the 1,485 sentenced to
drug court now. However, Mental Health Commissioner Terry Cline told The
Oklahoman's Mick Hinton he is trying to divert as much state money to drug
court and other treatment programs as possible.

Recent drug court graduates have attributed the program with saving their
lives or pulling them out of a drug-induced mess. It also helps taxpayers
by treating people for their addictions instead of locking them into
already crowded costly state prisons.

We hope state officials and legislators keep this program in mind as they
look for what appears to be proven ways to reduce drug-related crimes and
save the state money.