What is a drug court? Why do they exist?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Drug courts are a proactive way for a court judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney to work with a treatment provider in monitoring and treating people with substance abuse problems. The idea of drug courts began in 1989 in Dade County, Florida, under the assumption that outpatient treatment interventions of first-time drug offenders or low-level drug users would be more likely to curb future drug use than punishment without treatment. A second assumption was that the sooner the treatment intervention began after arrest, the less time the offender would spend in jail in a negative environment where drug use could continue.The drug court concept is different from that of traditional criminal courts. The judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, and probation officer all work together with the treatment provider to allow more informal and direct interaction. The entire team monitors the progress of each client through staffing and court hearings every two weeks. Phases are used to reward good behavior and predictable sanctions are used if clients fail to attend treatment or miss court dates. Clients who relapse may have to repeat certain segments of the program and repeated relapses may mean short-term incarceration. Drug courts are specifically for nonviolent drug offenders with at least moderate substance usage. The offenders may be misdemeanants or felons, and they must voluntarily agree to participate. Drug court treatment is one year in length and typically begins with an intensive two weeks of inpatient treatment, which involves detoxification through acupuncture, drug testing through urine screenings, and group and individual counseling. As the client progresses through the program, the levels gradually taper to day treatment and then to outpatient, which is the most common status.