Juvenile offenders find a way out of crime and substance abuse through drug court.
With relatively low annual costs per juvenile and low recidivism rates, this program has gained national attention. The problem is especially critical for young offenders. National estimates of substance use among juvenile offenders are at least five times higher than rates for the general population and have not shown any evidence of decreasing in the past few years. With shrinking dollars for supervision and capacity for placement, minors frequently go to court, receive an order to attend drug counseling and school, to observe curfews and to get drug testing. Nevertheless, they are not accountable and do not make meaningful changes because we have not educated families and systems about addiction and recovery.