Pubdate: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 Source: GSU Signal, The (GA Edu) Copyright: 2003 The GSU Signal Contact: http://www.gsusignal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1622 Author: Jay Wall DEKALB COUNTY DRUG COURT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION There is certainly one foray into private life on behalf of the government that unquestionably has failed. The so-called war on drugs continues to be the most flagrant excuse to date for the wholesale of civil liberties in this country, and neither of the two dominant political parties can muster the courage to capitulate to reality. But in the interim period between denial and enlightenment, some counties in this nation choose to combat crime and drug use in a positive way, and it just so happens that DeKalb is one of them. A story for the April 21 edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution chronicled the astounding success of the DeKalb County Drug Court. Underlying the fledgling institution is the recognition that drug addiction, combined with crime, provides society with a unique challenge that transcends the typical crime and punishment method employed for other offenses. The Drug Court is actually an intensive program characterized by group counseling six days a week, mandatory attendance Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous three days a week, job counseling, random weekly drug tests and a visit to the Drug Court every Friday. One of the participants highlighted in the story was Tyrone Walker, who said that the Drug Court was a "heavy hand in your life." Yeah, I bet. In return for his efforts at rehabilitation, Walker escaped a 10-year sentence for felony shoplifting. It is important to note that this program attempts to solve the underlying problem of much of the property crime that occurs here in Atlanta. The prohibition of narcotics creates a black market in which actors must work outside the legal parameters of society. There is no redress for theft of ill-gotten money or drugs, and the black market causes the price of drugs to be exorbitantly high, raising the value of illicit substances well above what would be expected in normal market conditions. Drug courts correctly focus on the negative externality of the behavior caused by prohibition. Drug courts do not absolve a criminal for their actions, and admittance is strictly voluntary by invitation. Participants are made to understand that their drug use led to a life of crime, and for that they must take full responsibility for the laws they have broken. But it is through the act of rehabilitation, rather than pointless confinement, that the offender can repay society. According to a Government Accounting Office report (1997), 71 percent of the participants in 1,200 drug courts across the nation have either successfully completed the program or are currently enrolled. Most rehab clinics can not boast such impressive numbers. Eligibility for the program is restricted to non-violent criminals that have an admitted history of substance abuse, opening up space in over crowded prison systems for the true predators in our society (sex offenders, burglars, arsonists, murders). By lowering recidivism rates, drug courts reduce the long term and short term costs of trials and prison. In a study published by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (1998), the cost savings created by these programs amounts to $10 for every $1 spent on drug courts. With so many local and state governments facing tax revenue shortfalls, perhaps investing in the rehabilitation of non-violent offenders remains the most prudent fiscal, not to mention social, investment available. The United States now shamefully incarcerates over two million of its citizens, and the most prominent reason for the prisoner explosion is the war on drugs. Unfortunately, the war on drugs finds continual support from liberals and conservatives. Conservatives feel obligated to punish "immoral" behavior, and liberals have no reservations about using the police power of government to socially engineer our society. Contrary to popular opinion I am no myrmidon, and I am open to new ideas regarding existing social and economic problems. Ideas like drug courts are rare, and we as a society should take notice when innovative solutions are presented. Bravo DeKalb County!