California’s prison system is full of offenders who are there because of drug offenses, and this is one of many reasons the state’s system continues to face issues with overcrowding. To help alleviate some of these issues, the state operates drug courts that may help you avoid having to serve time behind bars following a drug offense.
While programs are not open to violent offenders, the Judicial Branch of California reports that drug courts give you and others with substance abuse issues an alternative penalty to jail time that may help you overcome your disorder. These programs seek to help you and your community in two key ways.
Drug court objectives
First, California’s drug courts seek to reduce recidivism, or the chances of you reoffending and reentering the state’s criminal justice system. In doing so, they help reduce the strain on the state’s prison system that overcrowding currently causes.
Second, drug courts seek to give you the tools and guidance you need to help you overcome your substance abuse disorder. Often, criminal behavior is a direct result of substance abuse. Drug courts operate on the belief that, by reducing or eliminating your dependency, they also help reduce the chances of you reoffending.
Drug court effectiveness
So, do drug courts actually work at helping you overcome your substance abuse dependency? Does enrolling in one help reduce the chances of you reentering the criminal justice system?
The short answer is yes; numerous studies have shown that drug courts that operate under the best practices are indeed effective at helping you get better and reducing the chances that you offend again.