Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. LYNCH. Madam Chair, before I get started, I just want to join the chorus here and congratulate Chairman Wolf on his remarkable career as a leader here in this Congress and as someone who has worked diligently on behalf of his constituents but also in a way that I think has reflected greatly on this body. I think that the work product in this bill produced by Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member Fattah is a wonderful example of the possibilities when people work together.

Madam Chairman, my amendment would increase by $3 million the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2015 for the Drug Courts program. The $3 million added to the Drug Courts program will be offset by decreasing by $3 million the amount appropriated for funding the International Trade Administration.

Madam Chair, drug addiction in the United States is at an epidemic level. To call it otherwise grossly understates the problem. This epidemic affects every city and town across America, and it cuts across every demographic. It simply does not discriminate.

Drug and alcohol addiction shatters lives, destroys families, and costs taxpayers billions of dollars annually. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, estimates of the total overall costs of substance abuse in the United States--including lost productivity, in-hospital care, incarceration, rehab, and crime-related costs--tally to over $600 billion annually in the United States.

Now, many of us understand that drug addiction is a disease, and certain actions taken by people under the influence of drugs are typically uncharacteristic of that person. A handful of countries, as well as much of our own society here in the United States, have begun to realize that we need to deal with addiction and its outcomes in a way that can have a long-term, positive effect on the parties and families involved. Drug courts offer just such an opportunity by providing a support system and a roadmap for moving forward.

Madam Chair, drug courts are specialized court dockets designed to handle cases involving drug and/or alcohol-dependent offenders charged with offenses such as possession of a controlled substance or other nonviolent offenses determined to have been caused or influenced by their addiction.

Drug court cases are handled through a comprehensive program of supervision, drug testing, treatment services, and immediate sanctions and incentives designed to reduce the recidivism rates of these offenders by helping them overcome their substance abuse problems, which are the primary and proximate cause of their criminal activities.

Drug courts coordinate the efforts of the judiciary, prosecution, defense attorneys, probation departments, law enforcement agencies, rehab facilities, mental health and social services, and also involve the community, the family, and the employer in many cases in an effort to break the cycle of substance abuse, addiction, and crime.

If we can break that cycle, we all benefit. I have had the opportunity to visit many of the prisons and houses of correction in Massachusetts, where about 91 percent of those inmates have substance abuse problems or are dually addicted.

The bottom line is that drug courts save money, they reduce crime, and restore families. Quite simply, drug courts work. According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the drug court approach reduces crime by as much as 45 percent compared to traditional sentencing options. In fact, the available data indicate that nationwide, 75 percent of drug court graduates remain arrest-free at least 2 years after leaving the program, and reductions in crime have been maintained for at a minimum 3 years, and in many cases over 14 years.

In addition to reducing crime, drug courts save money. As reported by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, for every dollar invested in drug courts, taxpayers save as much as $27 when compared to the historic approach to these problems. This substantial savings comes from avoided criminal justice costs, reduced prison costs, and reduced recidivism and health care utilization--all areas, as we know, that devour vast sums of money annually in this country.

And very important to us all, drug courts help restore families. According to statistics, family reunification rates for drug offenders are 50 percent higher for drug court participants. People struggling through addiction can become isolated from friends and loved ones. Reuniting with their family is often the first step in returning to normalcy and again becoming a productive member of the community.

Madam Chairman, the underlying bill provides $41 million for drug court funding, $2.5 million over the 2013 post-sequester level. And I would like to thank Chairman Wolf--he has long been a champion of drug courts--as has Ranking Member Fattah. But these have been underfunded for a long time, and the adoption of this amendment would meet the need that has been amplified lately.

I just urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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