Obama keeps promise to send first-time nonviolent drug offenders to rehab over jail
- PolitiFact is giving Obama a “promise kept” on this one.
- Compared to traditional criminal justice system processing, treatment and other investment costs averaged $1,392 lower per drug court participant. Reduced recidivism and other long-term program outcomes resulted in public savings of $6,744 on average per participant (or $12,218 if victimization costs are included).
- There are approximately 2,700 drug courts. The administration estimates that we are now sending about 120,000 people to treatment instead of jail.
