Governor Christie has signed legislation that creates a pilot program requiring rehab instead of prison for nonviolent drug offenders.

The governor says mandatory treatment is better than putting those criminals behind bars because it will help them deal with their addiction and be better prepared to reenter society.

 “I truly firmly believe that his will not only be extraordinarily successful in terms of the numbers that it will produce over time, but I also believe that even if it was successful only once we could claim success because every life is precious.”

The program will begin in three counties yet to be determined. If successful it will be expanded over five years throughout the state.

Senator Ray Lesniak says the phase-in allows the state to evaluate whether mandatory treatment works.

 “Those who are forced into it. It could hurt the recovery of those who choose to be there, but on the other hand it’s also possible that those to choose to be there can have a good effect on those who are forced into it. We don’t know. This is a noble experiment.”