2025 National Treatment Court Month

Treatment courts across South Dakota are holding special events in May and June to celebrate 2025 National Treatment Court Month.

South Dakota treatment courts are hosting special events in May and June to celebrate 2025 National Treatment Court Month.

Every day, courtrooms across South Dakota and the United States are filled with individuals impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. Without treatment to address the underlying cause of criminal behavior, many will continue to cycle in and out of the justice system, burdening law enforcement and at tremendous expense to taxpayers.

“Treatment courts are our most effective approach to the devastation of addiction and justice involvement. Treatment courts break this cycle by holding individuals accountable through a combination of treatment and rigorous supervision and returning them to the community as healthy, productive citizens,” said South Dakota Director of Treatment Courts Noreen Plumage. “Today, approximately 4,000 treatment courts across the nation, including 17 in South Dakota, are now considered the most successful justice intervention in our nation’s history, proving that when one person, family and community rises, we all rise.”

National Treatment Court Month is coordinated by All Rise, the training, membership and advocacy organization for justice system innovation addressing substance use and mental health at every intercept point.

South Dakota’s treatment courts have planned uplifting events to recognize individuals whose lives have been transformed by the treatment and support provided by these programs.

South Dakota Treatment Courts Event Listing

*All graduations are open to the public.

Beadle County Drug & DUI Court

Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Huron

Alumni event honoring past graduates of the program.

Second Circuit DUI Court

Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 11 a.m. CDT
Courtroom 3B, Minnehaha County Courthouse
425 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls

Graduation ceremony with keynote speaker Magistrate Judge Sara T. Pokela, a prior Second Circuit DUI Court judge.

Sixth Circuit Treatment Court

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, 9 a.m. CDT
Third-Floor Courtroom, Hughes County Courthouse
104 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre

Graduation ceremony with guest speaker Darlene Braun.

Pennington County Veterans Court

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10:30 a.m. MDT
Courtroom C8 (first floor), Pennington County Courthouse
315 St. Joseph St., Rapid City

Graduation ceremony. Will also be streamed LIVE online at https://www.sd.net/UJSCourt2 for those who cannot attend in person.

Brown County Drug & DUI Court

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1:30 p.m. CDT
Brown County Community Room (basement), Brown County Courthouse
25 Market St., Aberdeen

Graduation ceremony.

Participants also took part in a community service activity and picked up litter in April.

James Valley Treatment Court

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 2:30 p.m. CDT
Second-Floor Courtroom, Davison County Public Safety Building
1015 S. Miller Ave., Mitchell

Recovery celebration. Learn about the program and hear stories of success and recovery from graduates.

Thursday, June 5, 2025
Mitchell

James Valley Treatment Court will also hold a graduation ceremony.

Pennington County DUI Court

Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 11 a.m. MDT
Commission Chambers, Pennington County Administration Building
130 Kansas City St., Rapid City

Graduation ceremony. Will also be streamed LIVE online at https://www.sd.net/UJSCourt2 for those who cannot attend in person.

Second Circuit Mental Health Court

Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 2:30 p.m. CDT
Courtroom 6A, Minnehaha County Courthouse
425 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls

Graduation ceremony.

Second Circuit Drug Court

Thursday, May 22, 2025, 12:30 p.m. CDT
Old Courthouse Museum
200 W. 6th St., Sioux Falls

Graduation ceremony.

Brookings County Drug and DUI Court

Sunday, May 25, 2025
Community Park, Brookings

Alumni event for past graduates of the program.

Codington County Drug & DUI Court

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Watertown Area PACH, Watertown

Program participants and team members will volunteer to clean totes and pack meals for children at Watertown Area PACH (People Against Child Hunger)

Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 2 p.m. CDT
Watertown

Codington County Drug & DUI Court will also hold a graduation ceremony.

Yankton County Drug & DUI Court

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Yankton

Program participants and team members will take part in an Adopt-A-Mile cleanup community service project.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Yankton

Yankton County Drug & DUI Court will also hold a graduation ceremony.

Northern Hills Drug Court and Fourth Circuit DUI Court

Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 2 p.m. MDT
Sturgis Community Center
1401 Lazelle St., Sturgis

Graduation ceremony.

Pennington County Mental Health Court

Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 3 p.m. MDT
Courtroom C5 (third floor), Pennington County Courthouse
315 St. Joseph St., Rapid City

Graduation ceremony. Will also be streamed LIVE online at https://www.sd.net/UJSCourt2 for those who cannot attend in person.

Pennington County Drug Court

Wednesday, June 11, 2025, 3 p.m. MDT
Courtroom C9 (first floor), Pennington County Courthouse
315 St. Joseph St., Rapid City

Graduation ceremony. Will also be streamed LIVE online at https://www.sd.net/UJSCourt2 for those who cannot attend in person.

Second Circuit Veterans Court

Will hold a graduation ceremony at a later date.

Treatment Court Statistics

All Rise Statistics

Approximately 65% of the U.S. prison population has a substance use disorder.
Another 20% were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their crime.

South Dakota experiences similar numbers in the criminal justice system related to substance use disorders.

Treatment Court Benefits

Cost of Treatment Court Versus Incarceration

Treatment Court Participation Cost per Person: $8,002
Incarceration Cost per Person: $32,000

In addition to the costs savings, treatment court benefits include improved education, employment, housing, financial stability and family reunification.

Treatment Court Numbers

South Dakota Numbers

On any given day, there are more than 400 participants being served in the drug, DUI, veterans and mental health courts in South Dakota.
In 2024, more than 800 total clients were served by these courts in South Dakota.