Fighting Drug addiction: Expansion of Drug Courts Drug abuse plays a major role in many crimes both directly and indirectly. The same family structure that is focused on by FFT and MST in juvenile rehabilitation is often beaten down into dysfunction by out of control addicts. Addicts, by their very nature, drive away all that is important to them to include employment, family, friends, and general mental and physical wellbeing. It’s understandable that addicts fall into a hole that they can’t climb out of. The criminal justice system often becomes involved beyond crimes of simple drug possession. Domestic violence, larceny, and violence can lead to addicts being sentenced to jail time, probation, and other programs. The stigma of being a drug addict can further erode any chances of the addict being viewed as a productive member of society. …show more content…
Attacking the root cause of the problem rather than filling jail cells without rehabilitation needs to be a priority and it needs immediate attention. This can be done through the use of Drug Courts. Drug Courts to an addict are much like a mentoring program to a juvenile. The concept combines substance abuse treatment and the authority and structure of the court system to provide an alternative to the revolving door of continued incarcerations for this population. Initially started in Miami, FL in 1989, there are now more than 2,500 drug courts nationwide (NADCP,