Tennessee opened the first state-wide residential Recovery Court in the nation on August 1, 2013. The court, located west of Knoxville, was established to allow the state to “ divert people in need of substance abuse treatment or mental health services from hard prison beds to effective treatment programs that are evidence-based and proven to have a larger impact on reducing recidivism. It will also allow for prison beds to be reserved for those violent offenders who are in most need of them.” This innovative program decreases costs by 45%, down from $65 to $35 per prisoner, per day – substantial savings for Tennessee residents and better treatment for non-violent offenders who need it most.