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JUDGING DRUG COURTS: BALANCING THE EVIDENCE

JUDGING DRUG COURTS: BALANCING THE EVIDENCE The 14 years since the first drug court began operation in Miami have seen the number of drug courts grow exponentially, fueled by ardent practitioners and federal dollars. By the end of 2001, nearly 800 drug courts were in operation and over 450 were in the planning stages (GAO, 2002). Drug courts are designed to get offenders whose addiction has contributed to their criminal behavior to stop using drugs. Drug court procedures include drug treatment, legal pressure, drug testing, regular judicial review, and systematic use of sanctions and rewards. The advent of drug courts signaled a sea-change in American courts-a paradigm shift from court practices designed for speed and efficiency in dispensing penalties to court practices designed to prevent future crime by addressing problems that increase the risk of criminal activity. This shift to problem-solving courts is based on the premise that courts should try to advance public safety by preventing future crime among offenders at high risk of recidivism. The court shift is also defended by theories of therapeutic jurisprudence. This theoretical perspective argues that courts should, while fulfilling their primary mandate to adjudicate and penalize infractions of the law appropriately, adopt practices that promote the well-being http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Criminology and Public Policy Wiley

JUDGING DRUG COURTS: BALANCING THE EVIDENCE

HARRELL, ADELE
Criminology and Public Policy , Volume 2 (2) – Mar 1, 2003
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References (3)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
1538-6473
eISSN
1745-9133
DOI
10.1111/j.1745-9133.2003.tb00119.x
Publisher site
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Abstract

The 14 years since the first drug court began operation in Miami have seen the number of drug courts grow exponentially, fueled by ardent practitioners and federal dollars. By the end of 2001, nearly 800 drug courts were in operation and over 450 were in the planning stages (GAO, 2002). Drug courts are designed to get offenders whose addiction has contributed to their criminal behavior to stop using drugs. Drug court procedures include drug treatment, legal pressure, drug testing, regular judicial review, and systematic use of sanctions and rewards. The advent of drug courts signaled a sea-change in American courts-a paradigm shift from court practices designed for speed and efficiency in dispensing penalties to court practices designed to prevent future crime by addressing problems that increase the risk of criminal activity. This shift to problem-solving courts is based on the premise that courts should try to advance public safety by preventing future crime among offenders at high risk of recidivism. The court shift is also defended by theories of therapeutic jurisprudence. This theoretical perspective argues that courts should, while fulfilling their primary mandate to adjudicate and penalize infractions of the law appropriately, adopt practices that promote the well-being

Journal

Criminology and Public Policy – Wiley

Published: Mar 1, 2003

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