The omnibus anti-crime bill of November 1993 approved $1.2 billion in grants for drug courts. This focus on drug courts was encouraging for organizations like Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR) in that it appeared to reflect renewed interest in treatment over incarceration for drug addicts who commit crimes. Drug courts rely on gradations of sanctions and addiction-related offenders are given an opportunity to stay out of jail so long as they perform a program stipulated by the drug court. Participants in drug court programs may receive education, job readiness training and placement, substance abuse treatment and life skills training. This puts the drug court process in the category of alternative to incarceration, unless the drug court is imposed on persons who before would have gotten recognizance (pretrial) or probation (upon conviction) and thus becomes a way to more punishment. The paper looks briefly at the drug court program in Miami, FL, and compares it with current and planned operations in Baltimore, MD.