Sherman Family Drug Court Observation Paper

Observation
There was mostly females in the family drug court, and most of the cases involving drugs in Sherman deals with methamphetamine. The judge has a great deal of control, primarily because he is on a payroll. Graduations in this drug court are generally a big deal and are often elaborate, with the use of plaques to symbolize their achievement. As far as Sanctions are concerned, they vary case to case, however, they typically involve writing a letter or community service.
What I Learned
Sherman Family Drug Court has moral recognition therapy, anger management, and parenting classes and of course, there are frequent drug tests. Moreover, the court even assists parents with finding jobs and requires the parent to be working on a GED

or have a GED. Parents in this court also have to consistently make their appointments in order to avoid sanctions. The principle incentive in this court and all family drug courts is family reunification. Intervention usually involves CPS and a majority of cases in FDCs involve substance abuse. Once in FDC, participants must attend frequent hearings, which usually results in sanctions or rewards depending on the parents’ progress. Furthermore, the judge typically has 12 to 18 months to reach a permanent decision. FDC has shown to be effective with family reunification and substance abuse treatment compared to parents who do not go to FDC. Overall FDC has led to clinically significant benefits and better outcomes than other family reunification services for parents who suffer from substance abuse. Moreover, the primary substance of choice does not seem to have an effect on treatment success. FDCs are also cost-effective, studies have shown that FDCs can save thousands per family. This system is efficient and properly addresses the adverse impact substance abuse can have on a family.
How Family Drug Courts effect Public Health
As mentioned earlier, a vast majority of parents in FDCs are drug abusers. FDCs provide treatment, incentives, and general support for substance abusers, which in turn, reduce and sometimes eliminate their destructive behavioral patterns. FDCs aid in keeping drug abusers out of the community and rebuilding families. This positive impact is illustrated through FDCs creating more productive and law-abiding citizens; it’s simple, more law-abiding citizens and fewer drug abusers lead to better public health outcomes. FDCs essentially mitigate the potential health-care cost of drug-abusers by reducing the chance of drug abusers being sent to the ER, hospital, or repeatedly trying ineffective treatment options. FDCs also play a critical role in the welfare of children. Children are less likely to be drug abusers when their parents aren’t drug abusers, thus FDC plays a vital role in stopping a potentially vicious cycle that could have an adverse toll on public health for years, or even decades.