Idahoans in the justice system with significant substance abuse and mental health issues require interventions that address their needs and hold them accountable.   

Treatment courts provide the support and supervision critical to helping participants achieve stability, reach sobriety, restore family relationships, and learn skills to be valuable members of their communities. 

Participation in treatment court includes several days each week of group and individual counseling with reading and writing assignments, educational sessions, attendance at self-help support groups, randomized drug testing, and regular appearances in front of the treatment court judge.  

 Failure to adhere to the treatment requirements results in sanctions, including additional educational assignments, work details, community service, and even jail time.  

Participants move from more to less intensive supervision and treatment as they progress through the program, with the ultimate goal of graduation. After a participant has successfully completed all program requirements, they are eligible to graduate and are prepared to reengage in their communities as productive individuals with positive social behaviors. 

Idaho has 68 Treatment Courts in 38 counties:

31 Felony Drug Courts
2 Juvenile Mental Health Courts
4 Juvenile Drug Courts
11 Mental Health Courts
3 Misdemeanor Drug / DUI Courts

7 DUI Courts
1 Young Adult Drug Court
1 Domestic Violence Drug Court
2 Child Protection Drug Courts
6 Veterans Treatment Courts

These courts served 2,820 individuals in fiscal year 2023 (up 29% from the previous year) with 529 participants graduating. There were 21 drug-free babies born to participants, representing lifelong health benefits for the child. 

Treatment Courts

Idaho Evaluations

A decade of research indicates that treatment courts reduce crime by lowering re-arrest and conviction rates, improving substance-abuse-treatment outcomes, reuniting families and producing measurable cost benefits. National researchers have found that drug courts reduce recidivism on average between 10% to 15%. Evaluations of adult felony drug courts, DUI courts, and mental health courts in Idaho produced similar findings.

Court Support

In FY2023, several important resources were developed to help new treatment court members become acclimated and to help participants access health related resources and services. 

Treatment court district managers were instrumental in developing comprehensive toolkits for judges and coordinators newly involved with treatment courts. In addition, an onboarding guide was drafted to provide a foundation for other treatment court multidisciplinary team members stepping into their new roles on a treatment court team. 

Throughout the year, treatment court team members were able to hear from multiple health experts on a range of topics impacting treatment court participants. Webinars addressed health areas such as HIV, STD and hepatitis prevention and care, mental health, pain management/addiction, dental health, and accessing health care.