Drug Courts Argumentative Essay

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The drug use in America is a major topic in today’s society. Should drugs be legal? Is there quality education for adolescents to deter them from drug use? Should drug education continue on into adulthood? Should people who commit minor drug offenses be sentenced to prison or attend drug courts? The drug court debate can be very controversial also; however, this program seems to be a better alternative for individuals who are addicted to drugs. Rather than being locked up in prison where they receive minimal care, they are actually getting the education and treatment they need to have a better life. Drug courts are specialized court programs responsible in handling substance abuse offenders through complete supervision, drug testing, treatment services and immediate sanctions and incentives. Instead of going straight to prison or jail, drug courts allow individuals the opportunity to be a part of a substance abuse recovery program. During the 1980’s, there were a surplus of drug offenders that entered into the correctional systems and judges found that over time after the offenders were sentenced and released, they would often end up right back in the system for the same offense (Contrino, Nochaiski, Farrell, & Logsdon, 2016). After …show more content…

Though research studies have not been the most consistent, most studies have shown that drug courts help reduce recidivism and jail time drug addicted defendants have had on the court system (Contrino et al., 2016). Drug courts are successful in lowering drug addiction and recidivism in criminals all while being less expensive than normal case proceedings. Other studies suggest that factors such as education level, recent criminal activity, and peer deviance have an impact on success or failure in completing the program (Contrino et al.,

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