Responding With Compassion
Treatment courts are the most successful intervention for leading people living with substance use and mental health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into lives of recovery and stability. In South Dakota, treatment courts are referred to as Problem-Solving Courts and include Drug Court, DUI Court, Veterans Court and Mental Health Court.
In Problem-Solving Courts, treatment providers ensure that each person receives an individualized, evidence-based treatment plan, while probation officers ensure close community supervision. They work as a team with law enforcement, defense, prosecution and the judge to hold participants accountable and provide ongoing support. The South Dakota Problem-Solving Courts save lives, reunite families, make communities safer and save money.
Goals:
- •Reduce substance abuse and recidivism among targeted offenders
- •Increase public safety by integrating the criminal justice system with treatment systems and community resources
- •Reduce reliance upon incarceration as a means of dealing with substance abuse issues
- •Increase the number of offenders able to work, parent, and participate in the community