What is drug court? According to Siegel (2013), drug courts are courts designed for non-violent offenders with substance abuse problems who require integrated sanctions and services such as mandatory drug testing, substance abuse treatment, supervised release and parole. These courts are designed to help reduce the housing of non-violent offenders with violent inmates. Drug courts operate in a collaborative, non-adversarial approach. How were drug courts created? Drug courts were established by Judge Gerald Wetherington of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami and Judge Herbert Klein (Siegel, 2013). When these two judges suggested a “drug court” for addicts, no one really believed it would work. In order to properly determine whether or not these courts would be useful, they were first piloted in Australia, Great Britain and Iceland (Siegel, 2013). Since initial experimentation on other continents, we have created and currently operate more than two thousand drug courts in the United States. What do drug courts offer that prisons don't? Drug courts help generate savings for our justice system, they help reduce recidivism, but most importantly, they help drug offenders reintegrate into society. Drug courts improve public safety while providing opportunities for drug users to become functioning members of society. Even if drug courts are a little more lenient toward drug users, that doesn't mean they get a "free pass." Those who are mandated by a drug court to enroll in a drug-free program must comply with the requirements or face prison time. According to Siegel (2013), some of the requirements include, but are not limited to: (a) mandatory periodic text......in the middle of the sheet......ng is possible. On many occasions, I have witnessed first-hand how drug court has saved someone's life. The system was implemented for the benefit of the perpetrator and his family. This program helps prevent future drug use by implementing a free relapse program. These courts are designed to help reduce the housing of non-violent offenders with violent inmates. Drug courts work in a collaborative, non-adversarial approach. The establishment of drug courts has good intentions. They were put in place to help change a person's life, if and when they are ready to help themselves. “In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongdoing. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must always wage our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. -Martin Luther King, Jr...