Drug Court is cheaper for taxpayers than jail

Drug Court is a much cheaper option for Oklahoma taxpayers than putting non-violent drug offenders behind bars.  The program also has higher success rates than released prisoners.  "According to Mental Health department figures, the annual cost of treating a person in drug court is $5,000. The annual cost of warehousing the same person in prison is at least $19,000."
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"Statistics used by the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services show that among 8,545 drug court graduates who have been out of the program for three years since 2001, less than 8 percent ended up in prison on subsequent convictions. For people getting out of prison, the three-year recidivism rate is 23.4 percent, nearly three times higher. Unemployment among drug court graduates declines 94.4 percent. Their monthly income goes up by 113.3 percent. Their participation in private health insurance goes up by 153.3 percent." - Tulsa World

For the full Tulsa World, visit their webpage by clicking this link: Drug courts save lives, but if that doesn't matter to you, they save money too.