What began in Miami, Florida, when the first treatment drug court was established in summer 1989 is by now recognized as a movement involving potentially more than 600 courts in the United States and elsewhere. The growth of that movement in less than a decade from the first Miami court to a handful of pioneering courts in Oakland (California), Portland (Oregon), Las Vegas (Nevada), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), and Kalamazoo (Michigan), and then to a whole generation of drug court initiatives, represents one of the more rapid and dramatic changes in American criminal justice in recent memory.
Drug court participants undergo long-term treatment and counseling, sanctions, incentives, and frequent court appearances. Successful completion of the treatment program results in dismissal of the charges, reduced or set aside sentences, lesser penalties, or a combination of these. Most importantly, graduating participants gain the necessary tools to rebuild their lives.
http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/bja/honestchance/