For some, drug court an alternative to jail time

These days, jails and prisons across Alabama and the nation are overflowing with criminal offenders, many of whom are there because they committed drug-related offenses. If you are among those currently facing a drug-related criminal charge, you may have valid fears about potentially winding up behind bars, but this may not necessarily be your fate. At Hawley & Associates, LLC, we recognize that, in some cases, nonviolent drug offenders may be able to avoid jail time by instead enrolling in a state drug or treatment court. These courts merge accountability with treatment methods intended to help you beat your addiction once and for all.

According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, many of today’s drug offenders have not only drug addictions, but mental health issues, too. These individuals are statistically more likely to serve time in jail than get the treatment they need to get better. Treatment courts, however, give eligible drug offenders an opportunity to break the cycle of addiction, which so often leads to criminal behavior.

Do they actually work, though, and could enrolling and successfully completing one give you the strength and support you need to kick your drug addiction once and for all? Research shows that, in addition to getting help for their addictions, treatment court graduates are more likely to continue their education, find employment and housing, and achieve financial stability than they were prior to their participation in the program.

Additionally, drug court participants are more likely than their peers enrolled in alternative programs to remain in drug court long enough for it to actually help them kick their addictions. Nationally, about 60% of drug court participants successfully complete the program, which is about a two-thirds higher completion rate than probation. Find more about criminal defense on our webpage.