Treatment-based drug court is a new innovation in the court system. The nonadversarial approach means the prosecutor and defense attorney work together as a team. The judge even speaks directly to the offender, bypassing the public defender. The authority of the judge serves as the tie to the offender. As a result, the offenders are held accountable for their own drug treatment progress or failure. Failures lead back to the judge immediately, and a short jail time serves as a detoxification device. Afterward, the "back sliders" are given a second chance with even stronger sanctions from the court if they fail again. Some of the core elements of a drug court include judicial commitment and leadership; a defined target population based on an evaluation of drug involvement and risk to the public; a detailed comprehensive plan that includes training for everyone involved; a prosecutor and defense attorney who work together; the goal of getting the drug offenders to take responsibility for their own destiny; and the use of local jail as a detox center. The treatment-based drug courts use a team approach to provide social services while closely monitoring the progress of the defendant. This article also discusses budgeting concerns.