What Else Does Drug Court Reduce Crimes

Not only do the eligibility requirements of drug courts vary across the board, but the way the programs operate and their outcomes vary considerably, especially when it comes down to how they choose to operationalize the ten key components (Carey & Waller, 2011; Mackin et. al, 2009). In 1997, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals published these key components. The first key component is that drug courts integrate alcohol and other drug treatment services with justice system case processing (NADCP, 1997). Being that the mission of drug courts is to combat the abuse of drugs and alcohol it is imperative for them to promote recovery through coordinated responses. The second key component states that drug courts should use a

Drug Courts came about as a result of a backlogged court system and a steady, rapidly increasing prison population. Drug courts are a form of diversion that helps the offender through rehabilitation and the community through an increased sense of protection, which serves the best interest of everyone. Drug Courts are community based intermediate sanctions that incorporate treatment principles into the Criminal Justice System and divert drug offenders from traditional punishments of probation and prison. The objective of drug courts programs is to treat the underlying problems of addiction among drug offenders and eliminate participants’ future drug use and crime.

The regular way they deal with the drug problem and people getting caught with the drugs isn't working. All they do is charge them and send them to jail. That isn't teaching them anything. For one they aren't getting major consequences for it. Second they aren't getting any help from stopping the drugs. They basically just pay money and sit in a cell nothing getting taught to them how to stop or not getting punished for it. These people need help stopping so they can stop letting their families down and ruining their lives. The drug court is there for this purpose. It is there to help people that want to recover and get their lives together. This teaches people that what they have been doing is wrong and gets them on the right track. When people learn and go through this program it will decrease the number of crimes. This court is not a waste of money, this is a program that will gradually give people their lives and family back. I would say numbers of people would give their money to get their love ones back and out of drugs. With most people money is nothing when it comes to

From the explanations given above, it is quite easy to see how incarceration is counterproductive to helping those with drug addictions. The next major question is how successful is treatment for drug offenders. The answer: very actually. In fact, with treatment, many benefits are found. Not only for addicts but everyone else as well. Improvements in crime rates, taxpayer spending, and overall well being of drug offenders are found where drug treatment is implemented for addicts.

Drug courts are specialised programs aimed at criminal offenders who suffer from drug and alcohol addiction (US Department of Justice, 2015, p.1). Drug courts improve offenders’ quality of life by decreasing substance dependency and improve mental wellbeing. Jane Lee, for the Age, explains people facing jail for drug and alcohol charges may be placed on a two-year treatment order, instead of serving jail time. The purpose of a drug court is to secure and maintain drug users in treatment, reduce non-violent incarceration rates and recidivism among prior offenders (Belenko, 1998, p.6).

Recent studies of drug court programs show that drug court is effective at reducing recidivism and lowering cost by offering drug court and treatment as compared to the cost of jail or prison for offenders. According to the Office of justice Programs (2017), The National Institute of Justice’s Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE) completed in 2014 found that: 76 % of Drug court participants reported less drug as compared to 56 percent of probationers and 46% of drug court participants were less likely to test positive for drugs as compared to 29% of probationers. Criminal activity was also lower with drug court participants 53 % than with probationers 40% and there were fewer re arrests of drug court participants 52 % as compared to probationers at 62 %. Regarding cost effectiveness, the NADCP (2017) reports that "for every $1.00 invested in Drug Court, taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone". In terms of money savings for "victimization", it is reported that for every $1 spent, $27 are saved. Drug court has major advantages compared to the traditional way of punishing offenders in the legal system. Individuals cannot learn to make changes in jail or prison, the environment is simply not conducive to change. Drug court offers an opportunity for individuals to still be held accountable for their offenses while receiving treatment to reduce the likelihood of re offending.

The National Institute of Justice funds a unique Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (Rossman et al., 2011). This evaluation occurs over a five-year period and analyzes the process, impact, and cost evaluation of drug courts from 29 various jurisdictions throughout the United States. Twenty-three drug courts in eight states, Georgia, Florida, and Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, and Washington, are examined throughout the process. This evaluation only chooses certain drug courts, therefore how resources are being implemented, cost savings, and outcomes are only being examined at those drug courts, but what about the other drug court

Since the origination of drug treatment courts, there has been countless numbers of offenders who have successfully completed the program and fought their way past drug abuse. There are also a handful of offenders who may have struggled to change their drug abuse or addiction, and fell short of completing the program. In this second part of my report, I will be determining whether drug treatment court programs actually work. To accomplish this task, I will be reviewing three empirical studies to evaluate how effective the program truly is.

Drug Court is an example of drugs/alcohol intervention programs which monitors the movement of non-violent drug addicts in a well refined structured treatment programs to help them recover. I heard about drug court for the first time when we watched the movie in class. I think drug court gives drugs/alcohol offenders chances to redeem themselves by sending them to rehab and other services that will help make them better people within the period. Three reasons why I think drug courts are effective in a community.

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

Drug court is an example of Packer’s crime control model. Offenders are placed in drug court because of plea bargains. Sentencing an offender to drug court leaves the prosecution as well as the defense the ability to move on to other cases. Furthermore, drug court is a cost saving method of justice in that an offender does not have to serve jail or prison time, thus, eliminating the cost of incarceration.

The drug court also provides powerful incentives and punishments for it participates. Some may be harsh and others are less harsh. At the state level the recidivism rate has lowered (Fulkerson et al., 2012; Rempel et. Al., 2003; Shaffer, 2011; Wilson, Mitchell, & MacKenzie, 2003). This is due to the defendant’s participation rate. There was a national study done showing a two-year recidivism rate of 28% (Roman, Townsend, & Bhati, 2003).

The objective of drug courts is to impede the neglect of illegal drugs and alcohol related criminal wrongdoing. Additionally, drug courts encourage reclamation using a corresponding reaction to criminal violators reliant on alcohol and other illicit drugs. More importantly, apprehension of these objectives necessitates a group method, together with teamwork and support of the prosecutors, judges, probation officers, defense attorneys, and other correctional facilities staff, law enforcement agencies, treatment facilities and halfway houses, and public neighborhoods. Federal and State programs assessing alcohol and drug issues, vocational rehabilitation, housing, and education also have significant responsibilities in the rehabilitation of drug

Currently, drug courts have been proven to be successful at reducing recidivism of offenders. In the United States there are about 120,000 people receiving help in order to rehabilitate them and to try to reduce the chances of recidivism (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2011). These programs require individuals to participate in the programs for a minimum of one year. During this year the individuals are required to appear in court and be drug tested at

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.