One of the purposes of the Drug Court system is to deal with all drug-using offenders while they are in the community, utilizing the programs that are currently in place. The goal is to place drug-using offenders in appropriate Drug Court tracks that tailor the level of intervention and resource commitment to the needs of the offender, and more importantly the needs of the community. Drug Courts provide more comprehensive and closer supervision of the drug-using offender than other forms of community supervision. While most community based treatment programs are based on volunteering enrollment, Drug Court remands individuals into programs, documents participation, and provides rewards for positive progress.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that incarceration alone does little to break the cycle of drugs and crime. One study, completed in 1993, found that a full 60% of police chiefs believe that police and other law enforcement agencies have been unsuccessful in reducing the drug problem in the United States.