I look forward to hearing from all of our witnesses this morning, but let me take a minute to thank Judge Gebelein for being here. Not only is Judge Gebelein one of the nation's foremost experts on drug courts, but he also is in charge of the drug court program in my home state of Delaware. And in the past six years, drug courts have taken off. There are currently 533 drug courts currently operating throughout the country, with an additional 293 courts being planned.
Drug courts are as much about fighting crime as they are about reducing illegal drugs.
It is no secret that there is a strong link between drugs and crime. This task is made more difficult by the fact that the root problem is a chronic, relapsing condition - addiction. Let me let you in on a little secret - if we just lock these folks up and don't treat them, they are going to commit crimes again and again and again. Treatment helps to break that escalating cycle of drug-related criminal behavior. To date, nearly 200,000 people have entered drug court programs and the results have been impressive.