The Oklahoman Editorial July 6

OKLAHOMA County District Attorney David Prater is making good on his campaign promise to make better use of drug courts and save the jail cells for those who present a greater danger to the public.
 

At the end of 2006, the county's drug court had 250 participants, Prater said. It now has about 450 and that's expected to top 600 this fall. The court hits a milestone this week, with the assignment of a full-time judge.

 

The focus on taking advantage of and expanding drug courts is an important one. In Oklahoma County and elsewhere, jail cells are packed. Many inmates are violent offenders who need to be locked up. Others are low-level violators with drug-related crimes who could be more productive citizens with the right combination of punishment and treatment. Routing more people through drug courts also could help the county's clogged crime docket, speeding up justice.

 

Studies have shown that drug courts are working. Participants are five times less likely to reoffend than those who stay on the traditional criminal justice path. It's also cheaper for taxpayers. Drug court costs about $5,000 per year per participant versus $18,000 to $23,000 for those sent to prison.

 

Participants must be nonviolent offenders whose crimes are related to a drug or alcohol addiction. And there's nothing easy about it. It can take a year or longer for participants to finish the program, which includes mandatory drug testing.

 

We'll be eager to see the drug court program's statistics as more offenders participate. Drug and alcohol addictions can be devastating for families and especially children, overwhelming the corrections system and social service agencies that must deal with the aftermath. If Prater's office can maintain the success rate of helping people turn away from crime and beat their addictions, that will be a huge accomplishment.