Approximately 80 percent of offenders abuse drugs or alcohol (Belenko & Peugh, 1998). Nearly 50 percent of inmates are clinically dependent on drug addiction (Karberg & James, 2005). Drug courts do their part to keep nonviolent offenders in treatment for long periods of time, and they are closely monitored. Patients in drug treatment are regularly and randomly tested for drug use. They are required to appear in court and discuss their progress with a judge. If patients show up and do well, they receive certain types of rewards. However, if rehabilitation patients meet their requirements, they may also be penalized for failing to meet their obligations. Drug courts have been scrutinized and proven to work better than simply sending an addict to jail or prison. Drug courts reduce reported drug use, and they also do so at a lower cost than any other court strategy. Drug courts provide the right balance between the need for treatment and the need for accountability. There is also evidence that drug courts are six times more likely to keep drug offenders in treatment long enough for them to actually get better and fully recover (Marlowe, 2003). Other benefits of drug courts are that they save taxpayers money, as they reduce jail and trial costs. The negative aspect of drug courts is that they do not reach a large enough population of abusers.