Study: Benefits outweigh additional costs of drug court

<br>(St. Louis-AP) -- A new study suggests that drug abusers sent to drug courts for treatment instead of to prison often earn more money and draw less welfare than abusers who are given probation. <br><br>There

Monday, February 2nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(St. Louis-AP) -- A new study suggests that drug abusers sent to drug courts for treatment instead of to prison often earn more money and draw less welfare than abusers who are given probation.

There are 21 counties in Oklahoma with drug courts and authorities say they can save the state more than 45-and-a-half (m) million dollars over four years. Some state lawmakers have indicated support for increasing drug courts in Oklahoma, in part to reduce prison population and cut prison costs.

The latest study is of adults who graduated from drug court in St. Louis.

A separate recent study in New York found offenders who complete drug court are 29 percent less likely to be re-arrested than those sent to prison.