Recovery courts/drug courts

Recovery courts (formerly called drug courts) address the issues underlying criminal behavior, such as drug or alcohol substance use disorder and/or mental illness. Recovery courts are designed to assist court-involved people in their path toward recovery from substance use and away from unlawful behavior through engagement with behavioral health and social supports.

About recovery/drug courts

Recovery/drug courts are an alternative to incarceration. They combine public health and public safety approaches for people who are at high risk for committing new crimes and who have a high need for treatment and other recovery support services but are unlikely to voluntarily continue these services long enough to benefit. Recovery/drug courts utilize evidence-based practices to provide intensive, supervised probation and mandatory treatment, as well as random drug testing with progress monitored by a supervising probation officer.

Recovery court operations are overseen by a multidisciplinary team of professionals who work together to assist participants in their path toward recovery from substance use and away from unlawful behavior. Typically, the Recovery court team is led by a judge, and includes: a probation officer, clinician, coordinator, defense counsel, prosecution, community justice support center team member, and may also include a law enforcement officer. The clinician provides clinical assessments, develops and monitors treatment placements, and identifies ancillary counseling, case management and outreach services. The court team works closely with community-based treatment providers including providers of medications for addiction treatment (MAT).

Up to 58%  Increases in employment, education, family functioning, and financial stability and reductions in crime*

Throughout the recovery court program, participants attend status hearings with a judge. During these status hearings, the judge will monitor participant progress in the program, speaking with individual participants about their recovery, challenges and successes along their journey. Research shows that the dialogue between participants and judges has the greatest positive impact on participant’s progress in recovery.

The national organization for specialty courts, AllRise (formerly known as the National Association of Drug Court Professionals), notes that an estimated 85% of the U.S. prison population meet the criteria for substance use disorder or became justice involved for a crime involving drugs or drug use.

*Source: The largest and most comprehensive study on adult recovery/drug courts by the NIJ's Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation | National Institute of Justice (ojp.gov)

Find a recovery/drug court near you

The following is a list of recover/drug court locations. While funding and resource limitations prevent us from having a specialty court session in every District or Municipal Division of the Trial Court, it may be an option to transfer your case to a location with a recovery/drug court. If you are considering whether a recovery/drug court is the right option for you, start by talking with your attorney or probation officer.

Massachusetts has 34 adult recovery/drug courts.

The District Court operates 30 adult recovery/drug court sessions in:

• Attleboro
• Barnstable
• Brockton
• Cambridge
• Chelsea
• East Brookfield
• Fall River
• Falmouth
• Fitchburg
• Framingham
• Greenfield
• Haverhill
• Hingham
• Lawrence
• Lowell
• Lynn
• Malden
• New Bedford
• Newton
• Northampton
• Orange
• Pittsfield
• Plymouth
• Quincy
• Salem
• Springfield
• Taunton
• Uxbridge
• Wareham
• Worcester

The Boston Municipal Court holds 4 recovery/drug court sessions in:

• Charlestown
• Dorchester
• East Boston
• South Boston

Recovery/drug court facts and statistics

Specialty courts, especially recovery/drug courts, have been the subject of intense research and debate. All Rise cites the following facts on their website:

Recovery/drug courts reduce crime

• Nationwide, 75% of recovery/drug court graduates remain arrest-free at least two years after leaving the program.
• Rigorous studies examining long-term outcomes of individual recovery/drug courts have found that reductions in crime last at least three years and can endure for over 14 years.
• The most rigorous and conservative scientific “meta-analyses” have all concluded that recovery/drug courts significantly reduce crime as much as 45% more than other sentencing options.

Recovery/drug courts save money

• Nationwide, for every $1.00 invested in recovery/drug court, taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone.
• When considering other cost offsets such as savings from reduced victimization and healthcare service utilization, studies have shown benefits range up to $27 for every $1 invested.
• Recovery/drug courts produce cost savings ranging from $3,000 to $13,000 per client. These cost savings reflect reduced prison costs, reduced revolving-door arrests and trials, and reduced victimization.

Recovery/drug courts ensure compliance

• Unless substance abusing/addicted offenders are regularly supervised by a judge and held accountable, 70% drop out of treatment prematurely.
• Recovery/drug courts provide more comprehensive and closer supervision than other community-based supervision programs.
• Recovery/drug courts are six times more likely to keep offenders in treatment long enough for them to get better.

Last updated:	May 5, 2025