As soon as I entered the class, there was a man sitting in our class. His name was Paul Shapiro, and he was from the Orange County Courts. He explained to us what the community court is, and what kind of effect it has on our society. During mid-1980s, crack cocaine was widespread and people kept going back to prison. To cut this infinite loop of incarceration, Orange County made the drug court. It is not like a real court, but rather similar to a program that helps drug addicts free themselves from drug dependence. Unlike other courts, the prosecutor, the attorney, the probation officer, and the judge in the drug court work as a team.
After graduating the drug court program, the recidivism rate has fallen from 74% to 28.8%. When we went to the community court before going to the District Attorney’s office, people seemed to know each other and they were congratulating a lady. I didn’t know why they looked cheerful and happy in the court when apparently they might be convicted. Now, I’m guessing that the lady was probably graduating the community court program.
However, there are pros and cons about collaborative courts. People who are against collaborative court system insist that it costs great amount of money, and offering treatment to lawbreakers is not the job of the criminal justice system – they think the prosecutors need to send criminals to prison instead of trying to rehabilitate them. Yet, supporters of collaborative courts assert that even though it looks as if
The Larimer County 8th Judicial District Adult Drug Court program is a governmental agency that provides helps to individuals within the judicial system with drug abuse related offenses gain the tools for success to become a positive member of the community. The clients in this program have voluntarily chosen to be in this program and follow the terms and conditions of their probation as signed by a drug court contract that follows there terms and conditions set by the court. This may seem like a forced step or little step to some, but in reality, this is the first biggest step for drug abuse individuals because it means they are admitting they have a problem with drug abuse. Now it’s the Adult Drug Court team’s opportunity to provide the
After the first two groups, the sheriff welcomed the entire group of females, followed by the group of males, to come into the courtroom. In a similar fashion, one female or male would come to the front of the room to speak to Judge Barrasse. Again after acknowledging any daily struggles or successes, Judge Barrasse would ask how long he/she had been sober. Regardless of the answer, it was followed by a round of applause from around the room.
“Just Say No!” A statement that takes us deep into yet another decade in the history of the United States which was excited by controversies, social issues, and drug abuse. The topic of this statement is fueled by the growing abuse of cocaine in the mid 1980s. I shall discuss the effects of the crack cocaine epidemic of the mid 1980s from a cultural and social stand point because on that decade this country moved to the rhythms and the pace of this uncanny drug. Cocaine took its told on American society by in the 1980s; it ravaged with every social group, race, class, etc. It reigned over the United States without any prejudices. Crack cocaine was the way into urban society, because of its affordability in contrast to the powdered
Drug courts are less costly than traditional courts when it comes to adjudication. The cost analyses of drug courts have not included the opportunity cost which contributes to the operational cost of the programs, such as wraparound services—rehabs, transitional living facilities, etc.—which may promote reductions in recidivism rates. Drug Court is a scarce and precious resource that should be used in a manner that maximizes its benefits and minimizes its costs to participants and society in general.
Crack cocaine has been popular since the 1970s and mid 1980s. Crack cocaine is not a new drug; this drug is obtained from coca plant which grows mainly in South America. For many years, the native South American Indians chewed its leaves to develop strength and increased energy. By the 1800s, the cocaine was secluded from its leaves and used as a medicinal drug. By the late 1800s, it was used as an anesthetic and to avert surgical hemorrhage. The next century, people recognized crack cocaine an addictive narcotic and its non-medical use of the drug was ended by the Harrison Narcotics Act in 1914 (“How crack cocaine works?”).
According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), 1 out of every 100 people in the United States has been incarcerated (“The Facts on Drugs,” n.d.). Substance abuse is partly to blame. Approximately 60 percent of prison inmates had a positive drug test when they were arrested (National Institute of Justice, 1999). A judge supervises community family drug courts and assists non-violent parents with drug related issues while still holding them accountable for their crimes. Drug courts are
The F.I.S.T. (Focused Intervention through Sanctions and Treatment) program is a good alternative for the incarceration of less serious drug-use offenders, because it minimizes costs, lowers recidivism rate, and it ensures social reintegration. This program is comprised of regular drug testing, court monitoring, counseling and treatment, educational subprograms, case management, and a punishment system which may result in imprisonment due to lack of compliance. The program is made up of a team of people led by a judge, including the defendant’s and prosecution’s legal representatives, probation officers, and drug-treatment
What else does drug court do, reduce drug use, reduce crime, save money, (which think about the cost in housing them as inmates), restores lives, both theirs and their family.
I believe that your topic about the effectiveness of drug courts is very interesting. It has been considered as a way that can be very cost effective and probably solve the issue of the overcrowding of prisons. Offenders who are non-violent are not placed in an environment where they probably will not be able to seek rehabilitation. Through the drug court program, the low level offenders will probably have a better opportunity in seeking real help and receive a second chance. They will be able to get support from their family and friends compared to just being placed in the prison system. However, are there enough drug court programs across the nation? How many people are not able to take advantage of this program? Looking forward in learning
When deciding what topic I wanted to write for my Civic Engagement Project, I already had in mind that I wanted something that most of us are not use to seeing nowadays. Many of us compare courts with punishment, but what if there was a court that did the opposite? When I was starting my research on the different courts we have here in Florida, I came across Drug Courts. The more I read up on drug courts, the more I became fascinated and intrigued. Drug courts do not aim to "PUNISH”, but yet to provide treatment to drug abusers. This kind of court believes that everyone deserves a second chance, that extra push. During my research, I was interested in learning a few things. Such things I 'd like to learn about this kind of
Crack Cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form. It comes in solid blocks or crystals varying in color from yellow to pale rose or white. A popular way to do crack cocaine is to heat and smoke it, others may inject it in rare cases. Crack got its name because it makes a crackling or popping sound when heated.
Our US court system is not perfect, it is like a mirror that has some scratches on the surface. With some hard work and the right tools, the mirror can be fixed. Jennifer Murphy and Adam Benforado talk about how our court system is flawed. Murphy talks about drug courts and how they are affecting our court system. Benforado talks about the individuals involved in the courtroom and how their mistakes flaw the court system. Though both Jennifer Murphy and Adam Benforado do talk about ways to fix the systems too.
Problem-solving courts were built in response to the large influx of cocaine being distributed and “broken-window” policing (Kaye, 2004, p.131). With drug and quality-of-life crimes on the rise, courts were overwhelmed and defendants were not given proper attention. Many offenders would be released with no jail time. Those that received treatment or community service programs slipped through the cracks because there was no judicial monitoring (Kaye, 2004). Understanding the importance these crimes have on the community, Midtown Community Court opened in 1993 (Kaye, 2004). This would become the first court whose objective applied the problem-solving approach (Kaye, 2004).
There are three unique types of specialized courts which are drugs courts, teen courts and mental health courts. Drug courts are mainly used to reduce drug use and the associated criminal behavior that comes with it. The judge attempts to reduce drug use by offering treatment aims instead of jail time, in hopes that the offender won’t turn back to drugs after being released. The evidence on the effectiveness of drugs courts are mixed, “most analysis reports that drugs court participants recidivate at a significantly lower level than comparison groups. (Lab, 2016)”
"Cocaine and crack are among the most addictive substances known to modern science, and they have already ruined the lives of millions of Americans" (Morganthau and Miller, 208). Cocaine and crack are both dangerous, harmful drugs. Though pleasurable effects can be obtained from these drugs, the use of crack and cocaine cannot be worth the actual consequences that are inflicted on mind and body. The bad effects of these drugs, by far outweigh the good. Because crack and cocaine are so closely related, it is important to have a firm understanding of both drugs.