Drug Courts Case Study
In the 1970s and 1980s, America faced a severe drug epidemic. The rise of drug use led to an increase in crime. Incarceration rates nearly tripled due to drug related crimes. The need to address this growing problem led to the drug court movement and the creation of drug courts. Drug courts are special courts that treat offenders with a history of substance abuse addictions by providing supervised treatments and sanctions when needed. This paper will discuss the establishment and goals of drug courts. It will also discuss the success or failures of drug courts in California, Florida, and D.C.
Early efforts to meet the nation’s growing drug problem began in the 1970s. The U.S imposed stricter penalties for drug-related crimes, but was met with …show more content…
Drug courts were shown to have been effective in reducing drug related crimes and recidivism (Franco, 2010). Drug courts had many advocates that supported their success. One included Janet Reno who was the United States Attorney at the time and became a champion of drug courts. Reno even paved the way for federal funding to plan for court expansion. Congress showed their support with the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. This program was authorized under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and was administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Department of Justice. The grants assisted state, local, and tribal governments with efforts to plan implement and expand drug courts. In 2010 Congress reportedly appropriated 45 million for drug court grants. The funding provided on a state and federal level helped to expand drug courts and the programs they provide. In 2010 there was an estimated 1,600 courts which rose to over 3,500 in 2015.
The purpose of drug courts was to develop provide rehabilitative programs that could Most drug court programs focus on low-level and non-violent offenders. Drug courts accept those charged with drug possession, tested positive for drugs, or had a known substance abuse problem during arrest. The courts could exclude defendants with current or prior violent convictions or other factors in their criminal
Early efforts to meet the nation’s growing drug problem began in the 1970s. The U.S imposed stricter penalties for drug-related crimes, but was met with …show more content…
Drug courts were shown to have been effective in reducing drug related crimes and recidivism (Franco, 2010). Drug courts had many advocates that supported their success. One included Janet Reno who was the United States Attorney at the time and became a champion of drug courts. Reno even paved the way for federal funding to plan for court expansion. Congress showed their support with the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. This program was authorized under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and was administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Department of Justice. The grants assisted state, local, and tribal governments with efforts to plan implement and expand drug courts. In 2010 Congress reportedly appropriated 45 million for drug court grants. The funding provided on a state and federal level helped to expand drug courts and the programs they provide. In 2010 there was an estimated 1,600 courts which rose to over 3,500 in 2015.
The purpose of drug courts was to develop provide rehabilitative programs that could Most drug court programs focus on low-level and non-violent offenders. Drug courts accept those charged with drug possession, tested positive for drugs, or had a known substance abuse problem during arrest. The courts could exclude defendants with current or prior violent convictions or other factors in their criminal