SAMHSA News Describes Successful Treatment: Drug Court Alternative to Incarceration

Research shows that treatment drug courts provide successful alternatives to incarceration for defendants with addiction problems who constantly cycle between crime, incarceration, release, relapse, and recidivism. This month's cover story in the March-April 2006 issue of SAMHSA News highlights treatment drug courts — often referred to simply as drug courts — funded since the late 1990s by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Close supervision, drug testing, and the use of sanctions and incentives help ensure that offenders stick with their treatment plans while public safety needs are met. The article also describes family drug courts, which target parents whose substance abuse puts them at risk of losing custody of their children.

SAMHSA News is a free publication that focuses on pressing issues in the mental health and addictions fields. Issues are published bimonthly, and available in both hard copy and electronic formats. (The March/April 2006 issue is no longer available online.)

 A free subscription can be obtained by calling: 1 (888) 577-8977 (toll-free) or (240) 221-4001. SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States.