I’m actually looking forward to this: The upcoming release of a film about life at Drug Court, since it’s set inside the real thing, and includes some real-life staff and participants.

Like most, I’m curious to see how close they come to the authentic experience. I’m hoping not too much of reality is sacrificed in the name of dramatic excess.

The film’s star is interviewed here:

Will Poulter on challenging stereotypes in new opioid drama: ‘Shame on us for stigmatizing people’

If you’re not familiar with drug courts, they’ve been around for decades now, beginning during  the cocaine epidemic. Janet Reno, the Miami prosecutor who later became the US Attorney General, was one of the founders.

From the beginning, the goal of drug court was to divert the nonviolent offender from incarceration into supervised treatment. In that respect, they’ve done quite well.

One unusual feature of drug court was its non-adversarial approach. A judge, a prosecutor, and a public defender would work together towards a single goal, reinforcing desired behavior with a combination of incentives and sanctions.

I recall some initial concerns about the expense of staging a drug court — sending someone to a courtroom with judge, prosecutor, defender, and staff –  isn’t cheap,  but  the money was justified by projected savings to taxpayers by comparison with the other principal option available, which was jail.

Even today, the estimated cost for keeping someone under drug court supervision for a year is in the range of $2500 to $4000, depending of the jurisdiction. Compare that to estimated costs ranging from  of $20,000 to $50,000 (in some more expensive locations), simply to maintain someone in a jail cell for the same duration.

No drug court guarantees a 100% success rate. But I’dbe surprised if their outcomes weren’t superior to those from locking a drug addict up and then releasing them back into the community, with few resources and no particular prospects for a future..

I once heard someone compare to coming across someone lying in the gutter, helping them to their feet, brushing them off, and pushing them back down again.

As for success, most drug courts rely on the usual measures. For instance:

  • Abstinence from substance use, based on results of frequent, monitored drug tests, or compliance with a medication regimen where appropriate.
  • Attendance at required sessions, which includes treatment.
  • Graduation rates, in terms of successful completion of the program.
  • Community stability, including measurable progress in terms of work, education, housing, and other key areas of living.

And last, but not least,

  • Absence of new arrests or violations.