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Up to what extent criminal justice system play role in addressing drug abusers?
Different researches have shown that treatment for wrongdoers (drug addicts) during imprisonment (of drug) may have significant effects on future drug use. Effects like criminal behavior and social functioning may also come into existence. Criminal justice system constrains to oblige with drug addiction treatment. In order to reduce risk of both recidivism to drug-related criminal behavior and relapse to drug use, combination of prison and community based treatment for drug abusers will be helpful. This will definitely lead to huge saving of society cost. Different researches have been found that prison system will effectively reduce the returning of drug use. One study reveals that in Delaware State prison system therapeutic treatment program reduced 70 percent drug use in patients and enhances non-participation to return to drug use. It has been acknowledged that individuals who are treating under legal pressure have more positive outcomes as compared to those who are voluntarily adopting treating program.
Many wrongdoers are not in prison but they are rather under the supervision of community. This happens with those who are involved with criminal justice system. Those who are suffering form drug addiction problem, drug addiction treatment may be different for everyone and may require some modification to the earlier one. So, the point to be considered is that treatment under pressure is more favorable then that which is taken voluntarily.
Criminal justice system helps to motivate drug abusers toward different treatments through various mechanisms. Different mechanisms are divergence of patients towards treatment, guarantee treatment in the case of imprisonment, probation, convening specialized courts, drug courts (that are needed to handle drug abuse cases). These courts are helpful in providing an environment which is more feasible for treatment and also provide an alternate to imprisonment. These courts actively monitor the activities of drug abusers and offer other services for them. One of the most effective models is criminal justice and also drug treatment system and services. A complete treatment plan includes both the treatment itself and criminal justice work. This treatment plan includes screening, placement, testing, monitoring, and supervision. Treatment of Individuals or drug abusers who are facing imprisonment should comprised of frequent care, continuous monitoring and supervision after imprisonment and during incarceration. If you want to know more about it, please see NIDA’s Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide.
reating Criminal Justice–Involved Drug Abusers and Addicted Individuals
Researchers have shown that if ‘criminal justice sanctions’ is combined with the treatment for drug it is very much effective in drug abuse reduction and related crime. Those individuals who are under legal coercion might have to stay in treatment for long period and do well or even better as compared to the individuals who are not under legal pressure. Even sometimes the abusers of drug may come in contact with criminal justice system earlier before coming in contact with other social or health systems and thus provides for opportunities for interference as well treatment before, during, after or when in custody which might ultimately result in interruption or shorten the usage of drug.
In order to get more information on how criminal justice system addresses the drug addiction problem you may want to take a look at Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide (National Institute on Drug Abuse, revised 2007).
The next section will provide you with several examples of the various treatment approaches and the components having evidence to show their efficiency. All of the approaches discussed are designed such that they address various aspects of a drug addict and what are the consequences of the addiction faced by the individual, family as well as the society. Some approaches are designed such as to enhance or supplement the existing programs while other are said to be fairly comprehensive.
The approaches given below are not all the treatment approaches but some of the evidence based is discussed here.
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Drug Abuse in the justice system