Drug court was developed in Florida during the late 1980s because incarceration rates were extremely high among individuals arrested for drug-related crimes (Rigg, 2017). Addiction has been a problem in America for decades due to the effects substance abuse has on an individual. Drugs continue to keep getting stronger resulting in substance abuse issues for people using them. When an individual becomes addicted, they will do anything to get their drugs even if it means breaking the law and committing several crimes. Nonetheless, being in possession of drugs is a felony in itself however, the people who are using them do not think about the consequences while they are in active addiction. Moreover, being addicted to drugs can make it more inevitable to lead to a criminal record. On the contrary, having a criminal record can make it very difficult to find jobs and housing. Drug court is known as a sentencing alternative to treatment rather than prison for individuals who have nonviolent drug-related offenses. People who participate in drug court have to plead guilty to their charges, but the charges are temporarily suspended as long as the participants comply with the requirements of the program (Taylor, 2012). Not only is drug court a deterrent to committing crimes it helps to rehabilitate drug related offenders by making them productive members to society. Once drug court is completed most of these offenders charges are dropped down to misdemeanors or even forgotten altogether. However, many individuals who could benefit from drug court are not accepted into the program which can most likely cause a barrier in sentencing and the start of institualization. There are many factors that are put into consideration when accepting or denying an individual to the drug court program. Most people are denied if they have past convictions of same or similar offenses making the individual a liability by allowing them in the program (Reuter,2013) However, only a select few have received chances when it came to past convictions. Drug court is not easy however, it does help people recover from active addiction by learning to trust the process and the court system. This research project will help show how consequences can better an individual’s future through an alternative of incarceration. How does drug court help individuals recover from drug addiction? The researcher hypothesizes that drug court will hold people accountable, use treatment programs to achieve rehabilitation, and decrease recidivism. When an offender is incarcerated for drug related crimes with no rehabilitation that offender will most likely get out and commit other crimes, because of the control drugs have among an individual. Therefore, by placing the individuals in a program to get the help they need such as, drug court there would be less reoffending and more people recovering from addiction.
