Averhealth is proud of our long-time partnerships with treatment courts around the nation to reclaim lives, unite families, and strengthen communities.
Join us in celebrating National Drug Court Month with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) community! Now is a great time to share some statistics about treatment courts and the difference they make, courtesy of NADCP:
4,000: Number of treatment courts – drug, DUI/DWI, veterans, and mental health courts – in 50 states, four territories, and more than 20 countries.
150,000: Number of people participating in these courts annually.
60 percent: Average successful completion rate of treatment court programs.
58 percent: Average decrease in recidivism after participating in a program.
$6,208: Average taxpayer savings per participant by not serving time in prison.
1.5 million: Number of people served by treatment courts since 1989.
The need for treatment courts – and the incarceration alternatives and diversion programs they offer – is greater than ever. Consider:
20.2 million: Number of American adults that have a substance use disorder, according to data from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
100,306: Number of U.S. drug overdose deaths in the 12 months ending April 2021, according to the CDC’s National Center of Health Statistics.
28.5%: Increase in the number of overdose deaths from the same period a year earlier.
According to NADCP, there’s also an upward trend in annual impaired-driving-related fatalities due to repeat driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders. More than 2 million drivers in the U.S. have three or more DWI convictions, NADCP reports.
When it comes to drugs and alcohol, the criminal justice system fails to address the core problem of addiction and instead relies on traditional incarceration or punishment.
Treatment court support is essential
With substance use showing no sign of slowing down, it’s more important than ever to support treatment courts. These courts treat substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health at the same time as they help with:
- lifelong recovery
- secure education
- employment
- housing
- and so much more
Thanks to accountability and treatment in treatment court, including regular drug testing and monitoring, participants can return to school, reunite with families, find employment, and pay taxes without incarceration.
It’s the kind of criminal justice reform we can all get behind.
National Drug Court Month is more than recognizing the excellent work of treatment courts around the nation. This celebration of the treatment courts is a strong reminder that governments should expand access to these programs to reach more people in need and support their communities.
Averhealth urges you to support your local treatment court. However, if your community does not have one, learn how to take the first steps through the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI). NDCI was founded in 1997 to meet the need for standardized, evidence-based training and technical assistance.
The National Drug Court Institute (NDCI), National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC), and Justice for Vets offer free foundational training for:
- Adult drug courts
- tribal healing
- wellness courts
- veterans treatment courts.
NDCI also provides practitioner training, operational tune-ups, technical assistance, and equity and inclusion training.
Averhealth is proud of our association with treatment court teams who make a difference in the lives of thousands of people every day.
We urge you to salute those who have dedicated their lives to help keep people on the road to recovery.
