May is National Drug Court Month and in honor of the Gwinnett County Drug and DUI Court Program, U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Georgia) will be the keynote speaker at the Gwinnett County drug court graduation ceremony on Friday. It will be the court‘s 20th such ceremony since it was founded in 2005.

According to Gwinnett officials, more than 28 men and women are expected to graduate this year. The ceremony marks their completion of the program, which includes comprehensive drug treatment under close supervision and full accountability. 

National Drug Court Month is coordinated on a national level by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. This year, drug and DUI courts throughout the nation are celebrating National Drug Court Month with the theme “Drug Courts: A Proven Budget Solution.”

The drug court concept began in Florida more than 20 years ago and is now regarded as the nation’s most successful strategy for dealing with substance abusing offenders. According to Priscilla Woolwine, director of the Gwinnett County treatment court program, it has had a “tremendous impact” on the community as evidenced by the commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday that will "send a powerful message that treatment courts are a proven budget solution that saves lives as well as money."

NADCP CEO West Huddleston echoes that sentiment.

“This May, all across the nation, thousands of people are graduating Drug Court with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to serving their community. This is changing the face of our justice system, not only saving lives but saving critical resources,” Huddleston 

While acknowledging the success of the program since its inception, Huddleston said more could still be done.

“Drug Courts save money, cut crime and serve veterans. In order to truly end the cycle of substance abuse and crime, we must put a Drug Court within reach of every eligible American,” Huddleston said. 

Nationally, 75 percent of individuals who complete drug court are not re-arrested. The court is reported to save $13,000 for every individual it serves and return as much as $27 for every $1 invested.

Like the other 2,500 operational drug courts in the United States, Woolwine said in a press release that the Gwinnett County Drug and DUI Court program is a judicially-supervised court docket that officials say reduces correctional costs, protects community safety and improves public welfare. Research indicates that drug courts work better than jail or prison, better than probation and better than treatment alone.

The graduation ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Friday in the auditorium at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville.