Drug Courts

A wise man once said, "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it." When it comes to the history, philosophy and process behind our modern drug courts, it appears our judicial system, legislators, and law enforcement officials have forgotten the past when Prohibition failed. Prohibition and its consequences were disastrous for society until more rational heads prevailed and alcohol was legalized with certain limitations. Unfortunately, our modern War on Drugs is as misguided and ineffective as Prohibition. It costs billions of dollars in law enforcement, courts costs, prisons, and lost lives to fight a drug war we are not winning, one which often ends with the incarceration of nonviolent, casual drug users who are otherwise vital, productive members of society. However, Drug Court, an alternative to incarceration has proven to be an effective and less costly method of dealing with nonviolent drug users who are arrested for possession of drugs. Drug Court is designed as a special judicial process wherein the defendant is subject to frequent drug testing, some form of probation and supervision, drug and alcohol counseling, and typically involves an incentives and consequences system. The purpose of drug court is to help stop the drug user from repeatedly moving through the judicial system and it involves collaborative effort to help the user deal with their substance abuse problem:

Drug Court programs bring the full wei

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Category: Government - D