According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 9 percent of Americans are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, and less than a quarter of these receive substance abuse treatment.

Another study estimates that 37 percent of those who do are referred by the criminal justice system.

Because of the lack of accessible, community-based resources, many people gain access to the treatment they need only after being arrested.

In recent years, the use of drug courts-court-regulated treatment and supervision programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration for people arrested for a drug-related offense-has increased dramatically. There are now nearly 2,500 across all fifty states.

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Squeezed by the pressures of a federal lawsuit and a crushing budget deficit, California must finally face the reality of its ineffective, bloated prison system.

State leaders must reduce the prison population by about 40,000 people, still leaving more than 130,000 in prison. The question is: Can this be done in a way that protects public safety? Yes. But to do this, the state must provide the people leaving prison with treatment and services, and it must invest in programs and strategies proven to create opportunities and build communities.

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