Drug Courts Proven Successful Time and Again in Suburban Illinois

Suburban Illinois is celebrating these days; numerous counties in the area have found a great deal of success rehabilitating those with drug addictions who end up committing crimes by processing them through drug court rather than criminal court. A new county is about to add itself to that list, creating its own drug court, and officials are geared up to follow in the footsteps of neighboring counties who have done so well.

Dan Wallis is McHenry’s 22nd Judicial Circuit trial court administrator. He says: “As long as we follow the plan that we’ve put in place, it will make a difference. There will be failures. I am a realist. But I have seen firsthand what happens with these programs. I have seen people who have succeeded. I have seen parents get their children back.”

The Value of Drug Courts

When someone is driven by an addiction to commit a crime in order to make money or get more drugs and ends up in a criminal court, they get treated like every other law breaker. As a consequence, they generally end up in jail or on probation with no attention paid to the reason why they committed the crime. What usually happens? They commit the crime again because the addiction is still an issue. They still need drugs. They still need money.

When an addict commits a crime and ends up in drug court – as long as the crime committed was nonviolent in nature – they can usually get ordered to attend drug addiction treatment rather than go to prison. In prison, they only meet more people who help them “graduate” to higher levels of crime. In drug rehab, they get the help they need to beat the addiction which removes the impetus to commit crimes in the first place. Without addiction, those who stand in front of the court are equipped to get a job and rejoin society rather than put further away from the goal of living a “straight life.”

Says Wallis: “The bottom line is that prison doesn’t fix the substance abuse.”

Get Help for Drug Treatment

Whether or not there are drug courts in your area, you don’t have to wait to get arrested to enroll in drug addiction treatment. Take the initiative and prioritize your health. Call now to find out about the rehab services that we provide here at The Orchid that can help you.