What is a Drug Court?

Drug courts constitute a Judiciary-led, coordinated system that demands accountability of staff and court participants and provides immediate, intensive, and comprehensive drug treatment, supervision, and support services using a variety of incentives and sanctions to encourage participant compliance. Drug courts represent the coordinated efforts of criminal justice, behavioral health, and social service agencies, along with treatment communities that actively intervene in, and break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction, and crime. As an alternative to less effective interventions, such as incarceration or general probation, drug courts quickly identify substance-abusing offenders and place them under strict court monitoring and community supervision coupled with effective, individually assessed treatment, and ancillary services.