Two Advocacy Organizations Question Effectiveness of Drug Courts In Treatment Access & Reduced Recidivism

According to a review of data about drug court outcomes conducted by the Drug Policy Alliance and a report compiled by the Justice Policy Institute, drug courts are not helping to improve access to treatment and have been ineffective in reducing rearrest rates among the participants. The Drug Policy Alliance noted that exclusion and “cherry picking” is a key problem because most drug courts exclude violent offenders; people on probation, parole, or who have another open criminal case; people with prior substance abuse treatment history; and people with co-occurring mental health . . .