County jails and prisons are extremely overpopulated, so overpopulated that inmates in some jails sleep on the floors. According to Senator Jeanne Shaheen (From Senator Jeanne Shaheen: Prison Overcrowding, 2011), federal prisons are currently above 35% of their capacity. Overcrowding is costing the criminal justice system and taxpayers more money in moving inmates to other facilities and in lawsuits filed by inmates against prisons. With county jails and prisons facing serious overcrowding problems and drug treatment programs providing a viable alternative to prison, more states need to implement drug/treatment programs. Treatment/drug courts are specialized courts that help stop drug, alcohol, and related criminal activities (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2011). These courts carefully monitor participants in treatment programs, and if a participant does not meet the minimum requirements set by the courts, immediate sanctions are imposed (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, 2011). The main goal of treatment/drug courts is to give the individual a second chance to receive the therapy needed to help overcome drug or alcohol addiction, without going to prison. The use of drug treatment programs, as an alternative to prison, not only benefits the individual in the programs, but also alleviates overcrowding in some jails and county jails, saves the criminal justice system and taxpayers money, helps reduce recidivism rates and benefits the criminal justice system. family of individual in drug treatment program. After many years of increasing prison populations, the use of drug and treatment courts in the United States has contributed to the long-awaited decline i...... middle of paper .... ..declining nationwide and local. Retrieved July 6, 2011, from EBSCOhost: http://search.ebsohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W61693996317&site=ehost-liveU.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). What are drug treatment courts? Retrieved July 1, 2011, from US Drug Enforcement Administration: http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/treatment.htmlZarkin, G. A. (2006, February 3). Study finds drug treatment is a cost-effective alternative to prison. Retrieved July 1, 2011, from RTI International: http://www.rti.org/page.cfm?objectid=45f0612f-80cf-452e-b9466cad5f1b786cFrom Senator Jeanne Shaheen: Prison Overcrowding. (2011, June). Retrieved July 25, 2011, from EBSCOhost: http://web.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/ehost/detail?sid=0b342550-d055-4e34-93ef-4b7ab4ebabf8%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z Q% 3d %3d#db=voh&AN=60905407