San Fernando Valley Focus:

Drug Court Has Much Appeal

One school of thought argues drug abuse is an illness that should be
treated. The other argues it's a crime that should be punished. Drug courts
like the one inaugurated last week in Van Nuys borrow from both
schoolsoffering nonviolent addicts the chance to turn their lives around
through carefully monitored treatment rather than just dumping them behind
bars. But if the addict slips back into old habits, the jailer awaits.

Similar courts across Los Angeles County and the nation have shown positive
results. Although success rates vary, examinations of drug courts
nationwide have shown that graduates of the yearlong program are less
likely to fall back into destructive patterns of addiction and crime.
Modeled on the 12step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, the program
requires participants to attend meetings and submit to regular drug tests.
Participants pay $300 of the program costs, which can vary from $900 to
$1,600.

Compare that to the $5,000 the county pays to jail the typical defendant in
a drug possession case. More than a quarter of the inmates in crowded
county jails are serving time for drugrelated offenses such as possession
or sales. Many more are jailed for felonies stemming from drug use. One
study claims that California taxpayers save $7 for every $1 they spend on
drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs. Those savings come from
reductions in overall crime and health care costs.

But statistics and dollars don't matter much to drug court graduates like
Debbie Allsup. The 41yearold North Hills woman let cocaine rule her life
for 19 years. Drug court helped her find a way out from under the drug's
dominating haze. Only time will tell whether Allsupand the hundreds of
other drug court graduates like herwill stay clean over the long run. But
drug court is an experiment with encouraging early results. It's a welcome
addition to the San Fernando Valley's criminal justice system.

Copyright Los Angeles Times