What Are Drug Courts And Why Do We Need Them?

A Drug Court is a special court given responsibility to handle cases involving substance-abusing offenders through comprehensive supervision, drug testing, treatment services and immediate sanctions and incentives.

Drug Court programs bring the full weight of all interveners (judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, substance abuse treatment specialists, probation officers, law enforcement and correctional officers, education and vocational experts, community leaders and others) into the fold, forcing the offender to deal with his or her substance abuse problem from every angle.

In addition, Drug Courts ensure consistency in judicial decision-making and enhance the coordination of agencies and resources, increasing the cost effectiveness of programs.

Are All Drug Courts The Same?

The design and structure of Drug Court programs are developed at the local level, to reflect the unique strengths, circumstances and capacities of each community.  Many sectors of the community are involved in the planning and implementation process of a Drug Court system, including: criminal justice, treatment providers, law enforcement, educational and community anti-drug organizations.  Not only do Drug Courts address issues in the criminal justice arena, but family dependency courts, DUI drug courts, juvenile drug courts, reentry courts and mental health courts are built around the Drug Court model.  In these courts, issues such as juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect and repeat drunk driving are all addressed. Offenders are treated holistically, smoothly and reintegrated into society in these courts.