This especially rigorous type of experimental research finds that drug court participation, in particular, tends to reduce future crimes and drug infractions — for as long as two to three years after the offender leaves court supervision. We know, therefore, that drug courts really do work quite well. In fact, over time, the improved behavior of drug offenders ends up saving money the larger community would have to spend on services or criminal justice for offenders who did not benefit from drug court programs.
Those programs end up more than paying for themselves. As researchers found that, on the whole, specialty courts work, scholars started to look more closely at why they are so effective at engaging participants in positive ways. Such investigations show that these courts get good results in large part because participants have positive perceptions about them. Faith in the court makes people more likely to follow treatment plans and stay away from trouble in the future.
In interviews, specialty court participants report feeling that they have a voice in the treatment process and are treated with dignity and respect. Researchers who observe judges and participants in these courts find that their interactions often resemble friendly conversations marked by praise and encouragement, more than they resemble the adversarial interactions that typically unfold between judges and defendants in traditional courts.
Offenders who take part in specialty court programs frequently rate interactions with the judge as one of the more important and positive aspects of their experience. Because, so far, specialty courts have achieved many benefits and cost savings, these courts are likely to become an increasing part of the U.
This makes it all the more important for researchers to continue probing, to learn more about whether these courts are effective, for whom, and why.
Perhaps there are lessons to be learned by other American institutions as well. SSN Basic Facts. Share pdf twitter facebook. Kelly Frailing. Loyola University New Orleans. How Specialty Courts Operate Each specialty court provides programming that is designed to address underlying issues that bring groups of offenders to court in the first place. Participation and Benefits So far, research on specialty courts has largely focused on the legal and social outcomes for offenders who actually agree to participate in these programs.
Why Specialty Courts Improve Lives As researchers found that, on the whole, specialty courts work, scholars started to look more closely at why they are so effective at engaging participants in positive ways. Related Content Briefs. Want to Stem the Migration from Central America? May 28, Episode When Disasters Strike May 7, The defendant must agree to participate in the assessment after meeting with their lawyer.
Candidates must agree to willingly participate in any specialty court program for which they are selected. Specialty Court Clinicians may participate in assessing eligibility. The court may also rely on recent evaluations and other sources of information. If a defendant is eligible, the specialty court session judge will review their case, and all parties will be heard regarding terms and final acceptance. All specialty court sessions meet weekly in the beginning, with decreasing frequency of court meetings as the person successfully progresses through treatment.
Program lengths vary according to the individualized course of supervision and treatment, but on average:. Successes or good behaviors result in incentives such as fewer required court appearances, praise from the judge in court in front of peers, change in curfew or GPS monitoring electronic bracelet.
It could also include jail time for not complying with the conditions of probation. A recovery coach trained in addiction issues might also be part of the team in court.
What is a Specialty Court? Specialty courts aim to address the underlying problems that can cause criminal behavior. Massachusetts operates several types of specialty courts: Adult Drug Court Juvenile Drug Court Mental Health Court also called Recovery with Justice Veterans Treatment Court Homeless Court There are two additional types of specialty courts that utilize alternative problem solving methods to reduce family conflict: Family Drug Court Family Resolutions Specialty Court We teach accountability We identify appropriate candidates for specialty court probation programs as early as possible — ideally at sentencing.
Specialized problem solving While some people refer to specialty courts as problem solving courts, the Massachusetts Judiciary believes that all of our courts are problem solving courts.
How it works: the process We strive to identify potentially successful candidates as early as possible in the criminal justice system.
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