The Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader is running a package of stories this week about one woman’s experience working her way through drug court, a program aimed at keeping addicts out of jail by providing counseling, frequent testing and structure. From one of the articles:

It’s a recognition that to address drug crimes, the system must address the disease of addiction.

“You can’t punish away an ailment. It’s that simple. Why should we punish people for what is clearly a brain disease?” said Doug Marlowe, director of law and ethics research at the Treatment Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania.

The first drug court started 20 years ago in Miami. According to the Herald-Leader piece, there are now about 2000 of these programs nationwide. A 2005 GAO review of drug courts (pdf) reported that the programs seemed to lower rates of recidivism, though their record at actually reducing relapses in drug use were mixed.

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-Greg Dahlmann