The General Assembly finds as follows:
- (1) One of the many objectives of the Illinois criminal justice system is individual rehabilitation.
- (2) The incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders with families breaks the family unit.
- (3) The recidivism rate of nonviolent drug offenders in Illinois is 53%.
- (4) Nonviolent drug offenders are in need of alternatives to incarceration such as counseling and treatment.
- (5) Drug addiction is recognized as a health issue around the country.
- (6) The Cook County State's Attorney drug school program has a success rate of over 85%.
- (7) The State of Illinois spends $22,607 on one adult incarceration.
- (8) The State of Illinois will save more than $17,000,000 if treatment programs are offered in lieu of incarceration. The purpose of this Act is to establish, subject to appropriation, a drug school program for nonviolent drug offenders statewide modeled after the Cook County State's Attorney drug school program.
(Source: P.A. 95-160, eff. 1-1-08.)