Courts across the country are celebrating National Drug Court Month. Coordinated by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), May honors courts that help individuals find an alternative route to get the support they need to fight addictions.

This year’s national theme is “Criminal Justice Reform in Action,” and it recognizes drug court participants and graduates who are learning to be productive members of society.

According to the NADCP, there are more than 2,900 drug courts across the nation serving about 150,000 individuals each year. Since 1989, about 1.4 million offenders have graduated from drug courts.

NADCP said drug courts are considered the foundation of criminal justice reform and the most effective strategy to reduce substance abuse, crime, and repeat offenses.

Here in the Buckeye state, the Ohio Supreme Court has 91 drug court in the certification process – 18 of those are juvenile drug courts. The state ranks ninth in the nation in terms of the number of drug courts.

“Ohio is no stranger to the heroin and opiate epidemic that has affected the lives of thousands. It’s important that we acknowledge the drug courts across the state that are combining treatment with accountability to achieve successes that are measured by a reduction in the number of individuals who reoffend,” Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said.

Richland County is celebrating National Drug Court Month. County Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing “the valuable contribution that has been made in addressing the drug abuse crisis in our community and throughout the state and nation.” An information booth was set up in the common pleas courthouse and National Drug Court flags were flown outside.

Richland County Substance Abuse Treatment Court has served nearly 1,200 drug court participants in its 19-year history. About 70 percent of those participants have successfully completed the program. The county continued its celebration yesterday with a graduation for current participants who completed the drug court program.

Hamilton County started the state’s first drug court in 1995. The Ohio Supreme Court started requiring local courts to certify their specialized docket programs in 2014. The Court created the certification process to ensure the quality and consistency in these programs statewide, and Ohio is only one of five states nationwide that mandates certification. The state currently has 215 specialized dockets – many which address drug addiction – including veterans courts, human trafficking dockets, reentry courts, and family dependency treatment courts.