If an Alabama judge or jury convicts you of committing a drug-related offense, the severity of your penalties will likely vary based on factors such as the details of your crime and whether you have ever offended before. In some cases, you may receive an offer to participate in drug court as an alternative to serving time behind bars. Drug courts are closely supervised programs that seek to not only help keep you out of the state’s prison system but to also help you beat your drug addiction.
Drug courts have proven benefits not only for you, the addict and offender, but also for your surrounding community. To be more specific, drug courts may:
Keep you from reoffending
If you complete a drug court program, statistics show that you are far less likely to commit additional crimes. In fact, about 75 percent of all drug court graduates across the country remain free from arrest for at least two years following participation in the program.
Force you to comply
Because drug court participants are under close supervision, and because you, as a participant, will likely have to undergo regular drug testing, you are considerably more likely to successfully beat your addiction than you would be without the same accountability. In fact, you are six times more likely to leave your addiction behind you, should you complete drug court, than you would be otherwise.
Save your community money
Generally, it is far more affordable to have you go through drug court than it is to house you behind bars. Once you consider expenses associated with repeat arrests, prison housing and feeding costs, and so on, your community can save somewhere between $3,000 and $13,000 for every arrestee who participates in drug court.
Drug courts also help fight meth addiction, and they help family members reunite with one another should they undergo separation because of drugs or criminal charges. An attorney may have more information about whether drug courts are available in your area and if they are an option for you.
