Why Do Prosecutors & District Attorneys Trust Burning Tree?
Because legal authority creates a viable path to recovery.
Justice That Prioritizes Safety, Healing, and Second Chances
As a prosecutor or district attorney, you protect the public and uphold the law—but often encounter criminal behavior rooted in addiction, not malice.
When addiction drives criminal behavior:
- Repeat offenses tied to substance dependency
- Individuals cycling through the justice system
- Cases where incarceration alone fails to address root causes
- Opportunities for rehabilitative alternatives to prison
Your Role Matters
When traditional punishment fails to break the cycle, long-term addiction treatment can provide a more effective alternative.
Supporting treatment referrals can:
- Reduce recidivism and protect public safety
- Address root causes rather than symptoms
- Support both individual healing and community well-being
When Should You Refer to Long-Term Treatment?
You may consider referring a defendant to treatment when:
- Charges stem from non-violent drug-related offenses
- There’s a clear history of repeat offenses linked to substance use
- The individual has a co-occurring mental health disorder
- Family or community members advocate for treatment over punishment
- Pretrial evaluations reveal chronic addiction as a root cause
These circumstances often signal that addiction—not criminal intent—is driving behavior.
What Factors Indicate Treatment is the Better Option?
Signs that treatment—not jail—is the proper intervention may include:+
- First-time offenses by individuals with no prior record
- Obvious physical symptoms of prolonged drug or alcohol use
- Mental health instability that worsens in detention
- A willingness to seek help, even if tentative
- A pattern of revolving-door offenses that incarceration has failed to disrupt
“Prosecutors who refer to Burning Tree Ranch don’t go soft on crime. They go deep on solutions—recognizing that long-term recovery can achieve what punishment alone never will.”
Brook McKenzie, LCDC
CEO, Burning Tree Programs
Why Do Prosecutors Refer Clients to Burning Tree?
Burning Tree Ranch provides the nation’s only true long-term residential treatment for individuals with chronic relapse, dual diagnosis, and a history of failed treatment attempts. We offer:
- 8–14 months of inpatient treatment, including psychiatric care
- 12 months of aftercare with built-in monitoring and accountability
- Legal and court collaboration—including reporting and progress updates
- Family engagement, ensuring sustainable recovery and reduced risk of reoffense
How Can You Ethically Advance Justice Through Your Role?
Long-term addiction treatment can be used as a strategic sentencing alternative, offering accountability, safety, and healing. Your role includes:
- Balancing public safety with the potential for rehabilitation
- Evaluating the root cause of criminal behavior—especially substance use
- Offering structured, monitored alternatives through plea agreements or diversion
- Collaborating with treatment providers, courts, and community networks
- Upholding fairness while opening the door to real change
How Can Prosecutors Create Legal Leverage That Motivates Change?
Your office can incorporate treatment into the legal process by:
- Structuring plea deals contingent on successful treatment completion
- Referring to drug courts or diversion programs where available
- Using monitoring systems for regular progress reports from providers
- Setting milestones for compliance (e.g., drug tests, court appearances)
- Offering future benefits, such as record expungement, for those who complete care
This approach reduces repeat offenses, lightens the court’s burden, and strengthens communities.
Let’s Turn a Legal Crisis Into a Recovery Milestone
If you’re looking for a solution beyond sentencing—a program that holds clients accountable while offering real healing—we’re ready to help.
Have a referral?
I’d be happy to help.
Call or submit an inquiry, and feel free to request me directly.
Brook McKenzie, LCDC
CEO, Burning Tree Programs
“Burning Tree not only saved my sons life they gave him a life we could have only imagined. It was his last chance since all other programs had failed. Our lives had been a living hell. They educate the entire family and you will never find a more understanding or compassionate group of people dedicated to your loved ones recovery.”
Lisa M.
Family of Burning Tree Alumni
Have a Referral?
If you suspect a client is facing a crisis bigger than balance sheets, we’re here to help. Confidentially, ethically, and without pressure.