ROSALIE, Neb. -- It was recently reported that proposed state of Iowa funding cuts could eliminate juvenile and adult drug court programs in Woodbury County. Elimination of these programs is a mistake.
According to the National Drug Court Institute, "Drug court programs represent the coordinated efforts of judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social service, and treatment communities to actively and forcefully intervene and break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction abuse, and crime." The institute claims $1.74 in benefits for every $1 spent on the programs. An additional benefit comes in the form of the lives that have been salvaged as a result of these programs. These programs are an effective weapon in the war on drugs. These are government programs that work. Arbitrarily cutting funding to programs that are effective, work, and enhance the health of our communities is not good government.
Perhaps we should be asking our politicians how these cuts are prioritized. We seem to be able to find funding when it comes time to bail out banks and other entities that "are too big to fail." Perhaps it is time to bail out programs that offer a benefit to the community. -- Timothy Murphy