Court-Ordered Rehab Guide: Who is Eligible, How does it Work?

Last updated on April 25, 2022

Court-Ordered Rehab & Treatment Near Me

Addiction and substance abuse often go hand in hand with criminal activity and other forms of social offense.1

Around 65% of US prison inmates have an active substance abuse disorder. Furthermore, an additional 20% were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time they committed a crime.1

In general, treating criminal offenders suffering from SUDs can alter their attitude, beliefs, and drug use inclinations, helping them avoid relapse and removing them from a life of crime. Therefore, court-ordered addiction treatment may play an important role in giving struggling individuals a chance to start over.2

What Is Court-Ordered Treatment?

Court-ordered rehab can be served as an alternative to incarceration to criminal defendants and offenders with a history of alcohol and drug abuse. In turn, participants in court-ordered rehab are expected to abstain from substance abuse and attend a rehab facility as part of their court-supervised treatment.3 Court-ordered rehab is a common practice for law offenders who acted under the influence of an illegal or illicit substance.

A court-ordered addiction treatment program aims to rehabilitate the law offenders and help prevent them from committing new, possibly more severe crimes in the future.4

Court-ordered addiction treatment is also vital in preventing post-incarceration death due to a relapse. A study has shown that 14.8% of former prisoner deaths were related to substance abuse between 1999 to 2009.5

Reasons for Court-Ordered Substance Abuse Treatment

There are several reasons why someone may be mandated to attend court-ordered addiction treatment. The most common ones are:6

Child custody: Some offenders are required to participate in a court-ordered treatment plan before they can regain child custody from Child Protective Services.
DUI offenses: The court may mandate a court-ordered addiction treatment to a DUI offender before they can reinstate their driver’s license.
Employer Mandate: A court-ordered treatment for substance abuse may also be required from an employer if the offender’s work performance has been affected or if their employer caught them using an illegal or illicit substance at work.
Condition of probation: A court may require a defendant with substance abuse issues to participate in an addiction treatment program as a condition of probation. If the defendant doesn’t cooperate with their probation officer or the administrator of the rehabilitation facility, the court may consider their behavior a breach of probation.

How Does Court-Ordered Rehab Work?

A court-ordered addiction treatment plan has two objectives: to cut down the rate of criminal behavior and cases of substance abuse. Various types of treatment coupled with supervision are used to reach these objectives.4

When an offender is appointed to court-ordered treatment for substance abuse, they’re required to attend a rehab facility for no longer than 60 days in most cases. In addition, they are expected to meet several requirements for 12 to 15 months following their treatment. These requirements include reporting to the court regularly and being subject to drug testing.7 They will be asked to follow orders and receive incentives or sanctions if they fail to comply.4

Benefits of Court-Ordered Rehab Programs

The idea that offenders can participate in a court-ordered substance abuse treatment instead of serving jail time is enticing enough to convince even those who’ve never considered undergoing treatment for their substance abuse issue.8

However, defenders who complete the court-ordered rehab stand to benefit from the experience in more than one way.7

They can learn about different coping mechanisms that can make their addiction treatment easier by teaching them how to handle the cravings and the stress they cause in a step-by-step recovery program.
Court-ordered therapy provides a safe and structured environment the patient needs to heal.
Patients are kept accountable by frequent testing, which simultaneously helps measure their progress.
Treatment centers teach patients how to successfully deal with their withdrawal symptoms.
Court-ordered treatment may be mandatory but has proven just as effective as voluntary treatment.9

How Long Is Court-Ordered Rehab?

The duration of this type of treatment varies based on the recovery rate of success in different patients. However, a court-ordered drug treatment program typically doesn’t take longer than 60 days. After the first hearing, the judge may decide to extend the program.4 Individuals who’ve experienced the benefits of the rehab program may opt in to continue treatment, receive aftercare, or get other forms of support per their medical practitioner.9

What Happens After a Court-Ordered Rehab?

Patients who have successfully completed a court-ordered therapy are still subject to monitoring. In the event they commit a new drug-related offense, the court will impose the appropriate penalties. The average length of rehab is between 21 to 28 days, and no longer than 60 days.4

After that period, patients can participate in various self-help activities and outpatient programs.9 Furthermore, they are expected to make regular court appearances, meet with their case managers, and be subjected to psychiatric evaluation and health checkups.10

What Criteria Does an Offender Have to Meet for Court-Ordered Treatment?

In some instances, a court may deem that therapy is a more suitable sentence compared to incarceration or prosecution. Suppose addiction was the driving force behind a minor crime committed by the defendant. In that case, the court might deem that a court-ordered rehab is more beneficial to both the defendant and society.4

How to Get a Court-Ordered Rehab?

Defendants need to meet several criteria to be eligible for court-ordered therapy instead of incarceration:11

The crime the defendant committed under the influence was non-violent.
The defendant hasn’t attended a court-ordered treatment program before.
The offense was directly or indirectly linked to drug or alcohol dependence.
The court believes the offender would stand to benefit from rehab.
The offender qualifies for a probationary sentence.

Consequences for Violating Court-Ordered Rehab Treatment

Violation of the court-ordered addiction treatment may occur at different phases of the program. The offender can violate their sentence if they fail to appear at the rehab center, miss parts of the treatment, or if their supervisors conclude they aren’t making efforts to get better. Nonattendance is a direct violation of the court order. It can lead to severe penalties based on several factors, including: 10

The nature of the violation.
The rate of violations, if the offender commits several.
The offender’s criminal history.
Time spent in rehab.
Behavior during rehab.

Repeated violations will have more severe consequences, including immediate imprisonment, hefty fines, and additional sentence time.7

Who Pays for Court-Ordered Rehab?

In the majority of cases, the defendant has to pay for court-ordered rehab, as the court is not required to make any financial arrangements.7 However, the defendant is also the one who chooses which treatment center they want to attend, meaning they can consider the one that offers the best price, support, and the healthiest environment for recovery.7

Substance abuse treatment costs vary from one treatment center to another. A number of them offer a sliding scale payment plan that brings the defendant the benefit of paying the cost over a period of time. Some people may also be eligible for free or low-cost treatments.7

Additionally, some health insurance providers may cover the cost or a part of the cost of court-ordered treatment. According to the Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equity Act from 2008, insurance has to cover substance abuse treatments. Therefore, the defendant can turn to private or federal insurance agencies like Medicare or Medicaid, which will offer a plan to cover at least a part of the cost of the court-ordered drug treatment program.12

American Addiction Centers, a trusted provider of treatment services, accepts many in-network insurance providers that can help defendants cover the cost of court-ordered drug rehab. Feel free to get in contact and learn whether your insurance provider is included.

Finding Court-Ordered Rehab Centers Near Me

Court-ordered treatment for substance abuse is an effective way to both get treated for SUD and avoid incarceration. However, as successful completion of the drug or alcohol rehabilitation program is required. Whether it’s near you or out of state, finding the right facility with the best support and environment to achieve this is key.7 If you have been instructed to attend court-ordered therapy at a dedicated treatment center, you can do so at any one of the American Addiction Centers facilities.

American Addiction Centers is a leading provider of addiction treatment with facilities nationwide, including Las Vegas. Our staff has years of experience helping patients through various detox programs and teaching them how to lead happier, healthier lives. We also offer different types of programs, from safe and monitored detox from heroin to structured detox and treatment for methamphetamine addiction.

People attending a court-ordered treatment program can benefit from all the support, healthy environment, and evidence-based treatment programs they can find at American Addiction Centers.

You can verify whether your insurance provider can cover the cost of court-ordered treatment. Our admission team will give you all the information you need and, following an intake assessment, help you get familiar with the environment. After completing your treatment, you will be in the company of countless satisfied patients who’ve had their life turned around for the better. You can find all the relevant information and answers to your questions on our websites.