Oregon Department of Justice

News conference.

Study says drug courts save tax dollars, reduce crime, and offer new beginnings

Story: Public officials, judges, court personnel, and graduates will speak to the success of Oregon's drug courts with the release of recent data confirming the program's cost effectiveness and showcasing the benefits - including reduced recidivism of participants. In recognition of National Drug Court Month, Attorney General Hardy Myers and Chief Justice Wallace P. Carson will present 10 graduates with plaques as winners of an essay contest sponsored by the Oregon Association of Drug Court Professionals (OADCP).

Who: Speaking at the news conference will be:

• Chief Justice Wallace P. Carson, Oregon Supreme Court.
• Shannon Carey, senior research associate, NPC Research, Inc.
• Judge Dennis J. Graves, Marion County Circuit Court; president, OADCP.
• Attorney General Hardy Myers, Oregon Department of Justice.
• Gary K. Weeks, director, Oregon Department of Human Services.
• Rachel Wolter, drug court graduate, Malheur County.

Additional drug court graduates from Benton, Clackamas, Douglas, Josephine, Marion, Multnomah, and Yamhill counties will be available.

When: Tuesday, May 25, at 1:30 p.m.

Where: Oregon State Capitol, Salem, Hearing Room 50.

Why: The latest study by NPC Research, Inc., which focuses on the STOP Drug Court Program in Multnomah County, finds significant cost savings both in outcomes and in the program itself.