Pot times

Alternative Spending -- State Leads In Drug

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1097/a08.html
Newshawk: chip

Pubdate: Mon, 11 Jul 2005
Source: Oklahoman, The (OK)
Copyright: 2005 The Oklahoma Publishing Co.
Contact: yourviews@oklahoman.com
Website: http://www.oklahoman.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/318
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

ALTERNATIVE SPENDING: STATE LEADS IN DRUG COURT DOLLARS

Being atop national rankings on corrections-related spending isn't always a good thing.  Oklahoma is well known for its tough-on-crime attitude that lands plenty of people in prison.

But legislators' willingness to put more money into drug courts as an alternative to imprisonment means Oklahoma will spend more per capita this fiscal year than any other state on drug courts, according to a new analysis from the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center.  Obviously it's not good that Oklahoma has so many people with drug problems.  It's positive, though, that there's even a slight shift in the attitude that helping some defendants turn their lives around is better than sending them off to prison for long stretches.

Lawmakers earmarked $8 million more to expand the drug court system in the new fiscal year.  That equates to a spending level of $3.27 per capita for drug courts next year, above the second-ranked state of New Jersey at $3.10.  The new funding will allow the program to expand at least 20 existing courts, create new ones and reach more than 3,000 new defendants.

It's enough that the specialized courts are helping drug-addicted Oklahomans kick the habit and better their lives.  The alternative is that many of those convicted would languish in prison, further exacerbating an already overstressed penal system while giving them little to no help to keep them from becoming repeat offenders.

Besides changing lives, drug courts also are a worthy financial investment.  Drug court participants cost the state an average of $5,000 per offender per year versus $16,842 for prison, state officials say.

It's clear Oklahoma has to do something to help an overburdened and financially taxing corrections system.  Putting money into alternative programs like drug courts is one way to help, and state leaders are to be commended for making such an important investment.