Oklahoma drug courts are working well.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Ray Carter, House Media
Capitol: (405) 557-7421

Contact: State Rep. Thad Balkman
Capitol: (405) 557-7386
Norman: (405) 447-4988

Drug Courts Driving Down Prison Population

OKLAHOMA CITY (September 28, 2006) - Oklahoma's drug court program,
which requires non-violent drug offenders to receive treatment instead
of automatic prison sentences, has successfully reduced the state's
prison population, state Rep. Thad Balkman said today.
"There is no doubt that drugs courts are saving the state money
while helping individuals beat the disease of addiction and start a new
life as employed, law-abiding citizens," said Balkman, a Norman
Republican who chairs the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee
on Health and Social Services. "This has been one of the most effective
anti-crime reforms approved in Oklahoma in years."
Balkman released information on the success of drug courts in
response to inaccurate information produced by the Criminal Justice
Resource Center.
For example, the use of drug courts has slowed the growth of the
state's prison population by more than 2,000 individuals, according to
figures compiled by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services.
Had the use of drug courts not been expanded last year, the
state's prison population would have increased from 23,948 (as of July
1, 2005) to 26,682 people a year later. Instead, the prison population
on July 1, 2006 totaled 24, 377.
That represents significant savings for taxpayers, since it
costs approximately $5,000 to pay for one person to go through the drug
court process compared to an annual expense of $16,800 for
incarceration.
At the same time, recidivism appears on the decline thanks to
the use of drug courts, which often help those struggling with addiction
to solve their problems and avoid the criminal activity associated with
their disease, Balkman said.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services, drug and alcohol receptions in the Oklahoma prison
system actually fell almost 7 percent this year - which is only the
second decline experienced since 1990.
Balkman said that decline is likely thanks to the lower
recidivism rates of individuals who successfully complete a drug court
program.
Records show that 82 percent of people who complete a drug court
program are soon employed. Drug court graduates are also about two times
less likely to recidivate than standard probationers, and four times
less likely to recidivate than an offender released upon completion of a
standard sentence.
"The numbers make it clear drug courts are working," Balkman
said. "We're saving taxpayer money while making the streets safer for
citizens. It would be a huge mistake to turn back the clock."
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