Prescription Drug Reform

Drug courts crucial to criminal justice reform

As our country’s fiscal crisis forces budget cuts across the board, we are witnessing a renewed inter- est in criminal justice reform and taking a closer look at the $70 billion spent annually on America’s correctional system. State and national leaders are calling for immediate spending reductions and an end to America’s costly overreliance on incarceration. Calls for reform intensified recently with the Supreme Court ’s ruling on the removal of thousands of inmates from California prisons and with this month’s 40th anniversary of the War on Drugs.

While there are no quick fixes, there are proven programs that we must expand during this reform effort. One highly successful program is the drug courts - a solution that saves money, cuts crime and serves veterans in need. Here are four reasons why these courts must be at the center of any criminal justice reform process.

First, and most importantly, drug courts are the nation’s most effective strategy in reducing recidivism - especially among drug-addicted, nonviolent offenders with long criminal histories. By closely supervising participants and keeping them in treatment long enough to transform into productive members of their community, drug courts significantly reduce the use of jails and prisons, improve employment and family functioning, and save money by reducing crime, health care utilization and victim compensation. The courts, furthermore, reunite broken families, intervene with juveniles on the brink of a debilitating life of addiction and crime, and stop repeat drunk drivers.

Second, the data backing up the drug courts is no longer up for debate. The rapid growth of drug courts in the past two decades has inspired researchers to pay attention. More research has been published on the effects of the courts than on virtually all other criminal justice programs combined. The facts are now known: Drug courts reduce crime by up to 50 percent and have been found to save up to $13,000 for every individual they serve. We also now know that 75 percent of those who complete drug court are never arrested again, an impressive track record for the courts.

Third, drug courts stepped up to serve the growing number of veterans who face charges stemming from substance abuse to mental health issues. By connecting our veterans to the benefits and treatment they earned through military service, drug courts and veterans treatment courts ensure that veterans do not fall through the cracks when they become involved with our criminal justice system. It also provides a critical stopgap to prevent future veteran homelessness.

CMS Releases Data on Medicare Part D Beneficiaries ... - Health Reform

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services releases data indicating that “nearly 500,000 people with Medicare Part D who reached the gap in coverage know as the ‘donut hole’ have received an automatic 50 percent discount on their covered brand name prescription drugs.” The brand-name prescription drug discount was a provision of the health reform law implemented on January 1, 2011. Since the program was implemented, CMS states that “beneficiaries [have] saved a total of $260,534,102, or an average savings of $545 per beneficiary.” According to the release, CMS predicts that as many as 4 million additional beneficiaries will reach the coverage gap in 2011.

Congressional Record

Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. 6, May 10, 2000 to May 23, 2000

Canadian health-care system is no model for prescription drug reform

Agriculture, rural development, and related agencies appropriations

Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. 16, October 13, 2000 to October 24, 2000