How do Drug Courts Differ from Traditional Courts?
Drug courts differ from traditional methods of adjudication not only in their methodology, but also in their results. These differences include: (Source: Office of Justice Programs: “Looking at a Decade of Drug Courts”) 1. Level of Supervision • Traditional: Court involvement generally does not take place unless a probation violation has been reported. Therefore, follow-ups for urinalyses may not be as frequent. • Drug Courts: Throughout the duration of drug court, defendants attend required and regular treatment sessions and court appearances as well as undergo random urinalyses. 2. Reductions in Recidivism • Traditional: According to the United States Department of Justice, 45 percent of defendants convicted of drug possession will commit a similar crime within the next several years. In fact, the more often a defendant is arrested for a drug offense, the more likely they are to commit an additional offense. • Drug Courts: Drug court participants exhibit a lower recidivism rate rangi
