Drug court

Treatment courts are cost effective. They are supported by research. A state task force is scheduled to meet this week to ensure they thrive in Oregon.

When Deschutes County’s drug court faded away, the county lost something that was successful. “It’s unfortunate that we can’t continue the program. Because I think it does provide a kind of value to the community and individuals that we in fact set out to achieve initially,” Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Ray Crutchley said in 2023.

Judges, prosecutors, parole and probation, police, drug treatment counselors and more worked together to try to do better than just locking up offenders. The aim was to treat the addiction and set people on the right path.

About 121 people participated in the program since 2011, according to a 2021 report.

A majority of them graduated and of those that graduated only 23% had court supervision or a prison sentence after graduating. The number was 74% for people who quit the program.

A statewide recidivism study of treatment courts by Oregon’s Criminal Justice Commission found positive results, as well. It said 75% of graduates did not recidivate within three years of successfully completing a treatment program. That compares well against 41% for people who participated but did not complete it and 35% percent of people who were referred but did not enter.

One problem — but not the only one — for the courts had been the way they were funded.There were state grants that had to be re-applied for on two-year cycles. That made it harder to recruit and retain people to serve in the critical role of a court coordinator, Nancy Cozine of the Oregon Judicial Department testified in February before the Legislature.

Will the Legislature find a way to protect a part of the justice system that works?