§62-15-3. Policy and goals.

The Legislature recognizes that a critical need exists in this state for the criminal justice system to reduce the incidence of substance abuse and the crimes resulting from it. For the criminal justice system to maintain credibility, all drug offenders must be held accountable for their actions. A growing body of research demonstrates the impact of substance abuse on public safety, personal health and health care costs, the spread of communicable disease, educational performance and attainment, workforce reliability and productivity, family safety and financial stability. Requiring that accountability and rehabilitating treatment, in addition to or in place of, conventional and expensive incarceration, will promote public safety, the welfare of the individuals involved, reduce the burden upon the public treasury and benefit the common welfare of this state. The goals of this article shall include:

(1) Enhancing community safety and quality of life for citizens;

(2) Reducing recidivism;

(3) Reducing substance abuse;

(4) Increasing the personal, familial, and societal accountability of drug offenders;

(5) Restoring drug offenders to productive, law-abiding, and taxpaying citizens;

(6) Promoting effective interaction and use of resources among criminal justice and community agencies;

(7) Reducing the costs of incarceration; and

(8) Improving the efficiency of the criminal justice system by enacting an effective methodology.