Transcript Drug Court
Drug Court ♦ The alternative to incarceration History How and why the experiment evolved Main Features of Drug Court Cooperation within the adversarial system Results Providing help and lowering recidivism Answering any questions History ♦ Treatment court began in the early 1990s. ♦ Drug court was a grass roots movement. ♦ Now drug court is supported by local/federal governments. ♦ The goal is to break the cycle of crime and addiction. Arrest Jail Re-use Release The Overwhelmed Criminal Justice System ♦ Drug laws expanded. ♦ Penalties increased mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses. ♦ 1000% increase in the number of inmates over the past 30 years. The War on Drugs % of Drug Arrests All other arrests 1970 % of Drug Arrests All other arrests 1990 ♦ In 1970, when the drug war began, arrests for drug offenses were 8% of the total. ♦ By the end of the 1990s, the percentage of drug arrests were 64%. The Facts ♦ Statistics Maintaining each prisoner costs approximately $30,000 / yr. 2/3 of arrested adults and more than ½ of juveniles test positive for at least one illicit drug. NY state spends over $200 million annually to incarcerate drug offenders. ♦ Results 3 of each 10 prisoners released in 1998 from 15 states were rearrested 2/3 were rearrested in 3 years 95% were found to have relapsed in substance abuse within 3 years. Main Features of Drug Court ♦ Dramatic intervention from by a team of legal and clinical professionals. ♦ Client participation in treatment is exchanged for a reduced sentence or dismissal of charges. ♦ An agreement is created to outline the rules of participation. Success Spread Very Rapidly In 1989 the first Drug Court was founded in Miami, Florida. 1800 1600 1400 1200 There were only 12 drug courts in 1994, now there are over 1600! 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1994 2005 Treatment Is An Intense Regimen ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Treatment Individualized case management Supervised drug testing Regular appearances before the judge Professional review of participants’ cases before each court date Eligibility ♦ Legal eligibility is determined through negotiation between the defense, the prosecutor and the court. ♦ Clinical eligibility is determined by treatment professionals who screen to determine the appropriate level of care. Participation is Voluntary ♦ The decision to enter treatment court is made by each client in consultation with their attorney. ♦ Those who decline are free to litigate their cases. Completing Treatment ♦ Abstinence from substances. ♦ Enrollment in employment, education or training program. ♦ Participant under court supervision for a specified period of time. Essential Features of Drug Courts ♦ Non adversarial Shared goal is successful recovery of clients. ♦ Early identification of participants ♦ Continuum of services ♦ Regular drug testing Coordinated Strategy ♦ Meetings of the treatment court team before interactions with participants. ♦ Sanctions and Incentives Given publicly by the court in response to clients’ progress. Drug Court as Classroom and Theatre ♦ Rewards Phase advancements Certificates Coupons Applause ♦ Graduated Sanctions Essays Court observance Intensified treatment Remand to prison Judicial Interaction ♦ Interaction with the judge is essential Graduates point to their interaction with judges as vital Participants remain in the courtroom until the session is completed Decision to Enter Treatment is VoluntaryVoluntary Admission ♦ Court supervision dramatically increases retention rates. ♦ Past 90 days, treatment outcomes improve in direct relationship to length of time in the program. 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Don't arrive for intake Drop out in 3 months Drop out in 1 year Results of Voluntary Admission Treatment Court Success ♦ 350,000 clients have participated Clients have a program retention rate of 67-71% Statistics demonstrate reductions in recidivism over 40% Lowering Recidivism 100% Average U.S. Rates of Recidivism 50% 0% Gradutes 4% Non-Graduates 48% ♦ In New York City at least 45% of non-participants will recidivate with a similar offense within 2-3 years. ♦ Recidivism for N.Y. Drug Court participants in 5-25%. ♦ Recidivism for graduates is between 4-8%. The Cost Benefit Cost Comparison $20,000 $18,000 $16,000 $14,000 $12,000 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $0 Treatment $ / Yr. Prison $ / Yr. ♦ Savings estimates New York: $254 million California: $43 million Washington state: $6,700 / client Oregon: $10 save for every dollar spent Other Benefits ♦ 3,000 drug free babies are born to participants ♦ 80% of treated juvenile participants have returned to or remained in school ♦ Thousands of mentally ill receive proper medication ♦ Job training ♦ Reuniting of families Expanding drug court ♦ Drug courts have had tremendous success in American metropolitan areas ♦ The model is now being applied to: Juveniles Drug abusing parents at risk of losing custody of children Drunk drivers Mentally ill Released prisoners Treatment courts globally ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Canada Ireland Scotland Australia Brazil Puerto Rico Jamaica Virgin Islands Courts are being planned in many Latin American and European Countries We are ready to help in anyway possible.