In Washington last week, I meet with Judge Alan Blankenship from Stone County to discuss the effects the opioid crisis is having on our communities and how Missouri Drug Courts are addressing opioid abuse. I also spoke with one of Alan’s drug court graduates who credits the court with turning his life around four years ago, ultimately saving his life.
Courts like this are reforming the justice system by establishing treatment courts focused on lifting those who struggle with substance use and mental health issues out of the system and into normal, healthy, and productive lives.
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), which heads up more than 3,000 treatment courts across the nation, has spearheaded this transition to a more compassionate court, and the results prove that this nontraditional approach could be part of the key to curbing the opioid epidemic.
Over 2 million Americans (1 in 10) have a substance use disorder and over 40 million (1 in 5) have a mental health disorder; nearly 8 million have both.
Unfortunately, people with these disorders are far more likely to be incarcerated than treated, which is why the NADCP has decided to use their courts to treat these men and women rather than just locking them up and perpetuating the cycle.
In Missouri Drug Courts alone, over 1,500 participants successfully graduated in 2019, and over 90% of these graduates do not re-offend.
Thankfully the judges in this program are compassionate, approachable, and work with treatment professionals to make the right decisions for its participants; probation officers and clinicians also have smaller caseloads so they can ensure the best practices are being consistently implemented.
Judges promote complementary medication-assisted treatments combined with counseling over jail time, using short-term sentences as a last resort when other measures have failed.
Not only are participants strictly and regularly monitored, but the program is evaluated every five years by an independent party to make sure that they are maintaining their high standard of practice and outcomes.
The courts have adopted the age-old “teach a man to fish” mentality, encouraging these participants to get their lives back by getting treatment rather than locking them in jail, further throwing them into a pit of hopelessness and despair. Since the first drug court opened in Missouri in 1993, more than 22,000 people have successfully graduated. These drug courts have become invaluable to our communities, and are ultimately saving the state money while reducing crime. Thanks to this program, specialized Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) courts in Missouri have reported a 93.8% reduction in repeat offenses after three years, and nationally each participant has saved the courts an average of $6,000. This program has made a visible change in our community, and I applaud the great work of Judge Blankenship and his counterparts in advocating for this life-changing program.
It’s hard to argue against a program that reduces crime, saves money, and restores lives. I support the drug court system as an effective and fiscally responsible method for holding offenders with substance use disorders accountable.
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