Alternatives for Non-Violent Drug Addicts Instead of Prison: Drug Courts

People with drug addiction problems are sure to exist in every society or community. These individuals are in desperate need of assistance. Drug courts were created and put into place primarily to help drug addicts who are not violent because the conventional justice system would not be of any use to them in terms of aiding in their rehabilitation. People react to treatment differently, but because humans are social creatures, it is important to look for better choices that can produce better outcomes. And also, be able to maintain them than look for a simple way out of locking the drug addiction offenders away for a certain period then release them.

Rationale

It is essential for any court process to be objective, in the sense of the drug court all participants are brought in with the aim of rehabilitating them back into useful members of the society. People dealing with drug addiction are in various forms and levels of addiction thus need diverse solutions in getting to the problem (Matusow, Harlan, et al., 473). The traditional judicial system is not quite beneficial to non-violent drug offenders. There is need to scrutinize the needs and case of each participant in order to find an amicable solution. Following the steps outlined further in the essay gives a straight forward step by step procedure that will ensure a full rehabilitation of individuals with drug addiction.

Steps

In prison, everyone is treated as a group of criminals without exceptions, making it difficult to reach out to the particular people, in this case drug addicted people. The steps used in the court drug as opposed to the traditional justice system is different and only targets the non-violent drug addicted people. The court system after identifying the particular people to be sent to the program, ensure there is treatment for each person for a certain period of time to ensure it works effectively (Matusow, Harlan, et al., 475). In the process of treatment, a person is closely monitored. First of all, a person with drug addiction is checked into an institution and are given intensive treatment as well as other services that will enable them stay clean and remain sober.

In order for the program to work effectively team effort is required. Every participant should undergo evaluation to find out their level of intensity of treatment required with the aim of ensuring their particular needs are well catered for (Sevigny, Pollack, & Reuter, 200). In the case of participants’ in need of residential, out-patient or even detoxification services it is the team to determine which best suits the participant. After clear assessment of the individual treatment plans are developed in reference to a person’s history in substance abuse as well as social situation. People vary in their levels of addiction thus is essential to carefully think of plan of dealing with individuals convicted of drug abuse and addiction.

In the steps of finding a lasting solution to the drug addition, there is need for periodic drug testing. This is essential especially at the beginning when addicts are tempted to go back to their old ways of abusing drugs. A sample of urine is to be submitted at a station within certain period of times in a day with more specification in the mornings for accuracy. Each individual is given a probation officer who will monitor and supervise them throughout the period they are under the drug court. In the process of drug tests, it is the probation officer who conducts the tests, should a participant not be compliant to the drug test rules they get to face the consequences through sanctions from the judge. These drug tests will go on throughout the period the person is in the program. Sometimes there will be abrupt request from the participant to do a drug test without prior knowledge of the testing.

Counselling is an important aspect when it comes to dealing with people suffering from addiction of any sort in this case drugs (Sevigny, Pollack, & Reuter, 195). It is mandatory for every participant to take part in the counselling sessions as they are core aspect in finding a lasting solution. The drug court gives provision for attendance of group and individual counselling sessions. Counselling is the platform upon which a participant gets to share their story and learn through others the consequences of drug addiction (Matusow, Harlan, et al., 480). Group sessions gives first-hand information of what other go through and what can be done to overcome the obstacles at hand. Through counselling sessions, the care giver also gets to have a better understanding of each participant’s case and recommend ways of dealing with the issues. These sessions are mandatory for each participant as their attendance will be reported back to the judge during the submission of progress report. Should any participant not appear for a session prior permission needs to have been obtained from the counselor or exemptions can be made in the cases of genuine unavoidable emergencies.

For the process of rehabilitation to work, there will be a twelve-step meeting that must be attended by the participant as it is crucial in the recovery process. These meetings are essential for all participants in the recovery journey as the participants get to interact with others, familiarize themselves with the twelve-step philosophy. In the process levels of trust are developed by the participant leading to the learning and creation of social bonds with the circle of people under the path of recovery. These twelve step meetings are a must attend as they will be recorded and submitted to the judge during one’s court appearance and evaluation. In the meetings participants, ought to benefit most because of the moral support they give each other during the sessions, as they will be a group of drug addicts brought together with one main purpose and goal of being clean and remain that way. It is easier to manage abstinence when in the group of people with the same problems but are also trying their best to remain sober.

Every participant in the program must have a permanent self-help sponsor who needs to motivate them in reaching their goals. This sponsor ought to be someone of the same gender as the participant having undergone the same process of recovery but has a significant level of sobriety in this sense a year or more. (Sevigny, Pollack, & Reuter, 190). A sponsor is someone the participant can easily connect with on a personal level when it comes to issues of sobriety. They tend stand in the gap as a guide to the participant in the sense that they give a step by step explanation of the process of gaining sobriety as well as help in dealing with personal problems when they arise. This is a vital part of the whole drug court assessment process as it gives the participant a glimpse of what awaits them should they strive to finish the whole course towards gaining sobriety and leaving drug addiction.

Cost

The drug court is a more lenient way of dealing with drug addicts compared to the traditional justice system that does not guarantee any success. The participants must be willing to take up the charges that accompany all the processes that involve rehabilitation. In the instance of court attendance, for every session taken there is a fee paid to the court. This will cover the fee for the court and the judge. For example, participants, should pay seventy dollars per session.

Feasibility and Logistics

For every process to succeed analysis has to be done thoroughly to fill up any loop holes a program may have. In this case the drug court would be a success because of the use of the twelve-step process to assess each participant. Every participant ought to be willing to par take in the program in order for it to be successful. Every drug addict with the aim of reforming must be able to get employment so that they can take care of their financial needs in regard to the fees paid for court sessions and other like process in the journey to sobriety. The twelve-step process allows participants to interact with other fellow addicts and bond in the process gain trust that allows them to form social groups.

Intended results

The aim of drug courts is to use a better civilized procedure of rehabilitating non-violent drug addicts and in the long run give them their lives back minus the drug addiction part. People have the ability to change, what matters most is the opportunity granted to them and their willingness to go all the way till the end. The participants of these programs are convicted of drug addiction but are given the option of trying to regain their lives back through the use of periodic treatment and supervision and monitoring their characters should they try to go back to their old ways. Actions have consequences and these participants are fully aware. Lack of knowledge is what sometimes fail drug addicts coupled with the lack of avenues through which they can seek help. Some of the rehabilitation centers charge too high a fee that addicts cannot afford thus languish in the same old lifestyle. The participants who opt to take part in the program must adhere to the rules and regulations in order to attain the intended results.

Works Cited

Matusow, Harlan, et al. “medication assisted treatment in US drug courts: results from a nationwide survey of availability, barriers and attitudes.” Journal of substance abuse treatment 44.5 (2013): 473-480

Robertson, A. G. & Swartz, M. S. (2017). Extended-release naltrexone and drug treatment courts: policy and evidence for implementing an evidence-based treatment. Journal of substance abuse treatment

Sevigny, E. L. Pollack, H. A. & Reuter, P. “Can drug courts help to reduce prison and jail populations?” The ANALS of the American academy of political and social science, 647.1 (2013):190-212

Tiger, Rebecca. Judging addicts: drug courts and coercion in the justice system. NYU Press