Drug Court Case Study

In 1989 the first drug court was introduced in Miami Dade County, Florida. Drug problems in Florida were substantial and mirrored many states across the United States. Crack Cocaine was on the rise as so was the crime across the United States. The many types of drug courts have been put in place to decrease recidivism, drug use and restore lives and families. Drug Courts are designed to serve as the alternative for incarceration. A big factor in criminal justice is figuring out what programs work for the community which are the taxpayers, and the offenders we are serving and helping. Drug courts are very successful out of the many correctional programs that exist. First discussing the background model that a comprehensive range of drug courts
According to NIJ, the three main represented courts are Adult Drug Courts with 1,538 courts, secondly Adult Drug/DWI Courts at 448 courts and Juvenile Drug Courts with 433
Looking into drug courts some may see them as a form of a parole officer in which the way they operate, as well as a form of counseling. On page 65 of The Verdict on Drug Courts and Other Problem-Solving Courts, Dr. Douglas B. Marlowe states “Adult drug courts are judicially supervised programs that provide nonviolent, drug-abusing or addicted offenders with a mandatory regimen of substance abuse treatment”. (Marlowe, 2011) According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), in 2009 drug courts in the United States have saved taxpayers $8.3 billion in federal and state funding. Drug courts have also saved an average of $5,680 per participant, returning a net benefit of $2 for every $1 spent. These savings reflect measurable cost-offsets to the criminal justice system stemming from reduced re-arrests, court hearings, and use of jail or prison beds. (Marlowe,