Data published by the state Unified Judicial System found 73% of all participants in the treatment court network do not commit another felony offense within five years of involvement.
Treatments courts are most utilized for lower risk individuals, often battling substance abuse or mental health disorders, and can break cycles of incarceration and addiction.
"It’s really the community trying to figure out how to address the underlying issues,” said state court administrator Greg Sattizahn.
He adds on one hand, people involved in the legal system are more than just a use of taxpayer dollars. However, there is an undeniable cost saving to keeping people out of prison.
“This is a program that, but for, they would most likely be going to a penitentiary, and those costs are about $33,000 dollars a year to the taxpayers, whereas our program is about $8,000," Sattizahn said. "So, certainly just pure cost savings, which I don’t think is the only thing to look at but is important, the program really does provide good results for the investment.”
Sattizahn said there is something more important than the pure numbers game.
“Anything that can get somebody on the right path and have those positive steps is very rewarding. That’s good for people in the (legal) field, but also every re-arrest leads to more consequences, and more costs," Sattizahn said. "Making communities safer, reducing the likelihood of someone coming back into the court system – a lot of net positives for everybody.”
Treatment courts utilized personalized plans to address the participants unique needs while also utilizing probation officers to continue supervision in the community.
In total, a participant will receive between 200 and 300 hours of counseling, supervision, and court sessions during their time in the program.