Pike County's drug crimes increased by 24 percent from 136 in 2012 to 169 in 2013, including possession, sale and delivery.

And although the county's most often prosecuted crime, driving under the influence, dropped from 223 in 2012 to 200 in 2013, the number of DUI incidents involving drug use increased by 65 percent, from 23 to 38.

Adults as well as experimenting youth have increasingly developed heroin addictions, as doctors, especially at "pain clinics," prescribe addictive opioids, Tonkin said. Once prescriptions end, some addicted users pursue heroin. The costs of addiction then lead to crimes such as burglary and theft, which have also increased in Pike County.

"Heroin addictions are difficult to stop," Tonkin said.

Because so much crime is addiction-driven, he discussed the possibility of a drug court with a county commissioner six to 12 weeks ago, he said.

Almost half of Pennsylvania's 67 judicial districts run drug courts that provide alternative rehabilitative sentencing for some nonviolent drug-motivated crimes.

In each case, the judge, district attorney and defendant must agree on conditions, and judges closely monitor treatment and compliance. The judge can impose sanctions and reinstate incarceration sentences for defendants who fail to comply with the rehab regimen. But those who remain drug-free for the designated period, usually at least a year, may have their crime expunged.

Tonkin supports the idea for "crimes with no victim, no serious damage to society, and solid treatment options monitored by the criminal justice department."

"But there's a question of what resources Pike County commissioners are willing to devote to treatment," he said.

The commissioners' response was favorable for a drug court for veterans, which would be funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but hesitant about a general drug court, which would depend on county resources, Tonkin said.

The upshot of the conversation was, "If we pursue a drug court, we'll have to consider resources," Tonkin said.

Then on May 5, he received a letter from the commissioners indicating interest in "investigating costs and logistics" for a drug court, he said.

County commissioner Matt Osterberg agreed that many crimes are traceable to addiction — 85 percent nationwide, he noted.

Osterberg said he has witnessed how addictive pain killers are too readily prescribed, whether for football injuries or medical procedures. He said he recently declined oxycodone for wisdom tooth extraction, and took Tylenol instead.

"I'm open to a drug court," Osterberg said. "Does it work? I've heard of many successes, but it all comes down to cost."

Pennsylvania's first drug court began operating in Philadelphia in 1997, eight years after the first in the country began in Florida; now the U.S. has 2,400 drug courts.

Matthew Schmonsees, coordinator for Philadelphia's drug and DUI courts, pointed to potential savings from drug courts, identified by research cited on the National Association of Drug Court Professionals website. Analyses of multiple studies found that drug courts produce savings ranging from $3,000-$13,000 per client, "as a result of reducing prison costs, revolving-door arrests, trials, and victimization."

Studies also indicated crime reductions up to 50 percent, and for as long as 14 years. With strict court monitoring and penalties for noncompliance, addicts tend to persist with drug court treatment regimens more consistently than with other treatment programs, according to the research.

In March, Schmonsees participated in a panel presentation on drug courts for the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime and corrections at the state Capitol. Also participating were several county judges, other drug court administrators, and former offenders.

The panel told legislators that channeling some nonviolent offenders into drug courts "has reduced crime by stemming the number of repeat offenders, has trimmed costly jail expenses, and has restored families broken by addiction," according to an article on the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania website (pacourts.us/news-and-statistics/news?Article=370).

Osterberg said discussions about the possibility of a drug court in Pike County have just begun.

"There's no timeline," he said. "It's easy to open a program, but you get the bill in the mail. We have a fiduciary responsibility to figure things out."