Juvenile offenders are becoming a significant concern for all professionals within the criminal justice system. Juveniles cannot lead a successful life when they have been a part of criminal activity and have not been rehabilitated. These individuals are the future or our country and of the world. When they have gotten involved in illegal activity it is less likely that they will have a positive impact on society. By using illegal substances, there are more individuals affected than just the offender. Families, schools, and communities are all affected by juvenile drug use. So, with the development of alternatives such as juvenile drug courts, it is clear that the criminal justice system has taken a serious look at improving the lives of these
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Drug use has, however, evolved over the years. In the 1980’s crack cocaine made its appearance onto the scene, and the number of individuals arrested for drug possession was exponential. Shockingly, this type of offense is the most prevalent type of offense within the United States of America. So, when it comes to the overwhelming number of these types of offenders, there is not a difference on how they are processed through the criminal justice system. The issue that presents itself is the fact that most of these drug-related offenses are not considered serious, therefore, by incarcerating these individuals, means that the prison systems population is rising. Therefore, when thinking of juvenile offenders, they do not need to be placed into this environment. Even though it may have once been socially acceptable to punish juveniles to the fullest extent of the law, this is no longer the case. The rehabilitative era is among us, and the policies and procedures that are embedded within the various juvenile drug court models are exemplary ways restorative justice is occurring (Egbert, Church, & Byrnes, 2006; Gaudio, …show more content…
Each drug court has different types of requirements for entry into the program, stipulations that must be fulfilled during the program, as well as completion of the program. Also, each drug court is different in how the treatment services are offered to the youth; this can be based on a number of variables such as monetary resources, staffing, and outreach resources. Therefore, while each drug court may vary slightly, the overall goal is still the same, to keep the youth of this county out of prison, to teach them the skills to have a successful crime-free life, to stay clean, and to not re-offend. Additionally, alternate research has in fact shown that juvenile drug courts reduce the behaviors associated with drug use, as well as criminality. So, this restorative justice system that is available for juveniles enables the justice system to maintain its goals, while also facilitating a treatment policy type program to overall engage in various goals such as potential career development, career opportunities, counseling, family therapy, etc. (Egbert, Church, & Byrnes,
Drug use has, however, evolved over the years. In the 1980’s crack cocaine made its appearance onto the scene, and the number of individuals arrested for drug possession was exponential. Shockingly, this type of offense is the most prevalent type of offense within the United States of America. So, when it comes to the overwhelming number of these types of offenders, there is not a difference on how they are processed through the criminal justice system. The issue that presents itself is the fact that most of these drug-related offenses are not considered serious, therefore, by incarcerating these individuals, means that the prison systems population is rising. Therefore, when thinking of juvenile offenders, they do not need to be placed into this environment. Even though it may have once been socially acceptable to punish juveniles to the fullest extent of the law, this is no longer the case. The rehabilitative era is among us, and the policies and procedures that are embedded within the various juvenile drug court models are exemplary ways restorative justice is occurring (Egbert, Church, & Byrnes, 2006; Gaudio, …show more content…
Each drug court has different types of requirements for entry into the program, stipulations that must be fulfilled during the program, as well as completion of the program. Also, each drug court is different in how the treatment services are offered to the youth; this can be based on a number of variables such as monetary resources, staffing, and outreach resources. Therefore, while each drug court may vary slightly, the overall goal is still the same, to keep the youth of this county out of prison, to teach them the skills to have a successful crime-free life, to stay clean, and to not re-offend. Additionally, alternate research has in fact shown that juvenile drug courts reduce the behaviors associated with drug use, as well as criminality. So, this restorative justice system that is available for juveniles enables the justice system to maintain its goals, while also facilitating a treatment policy type program to overall engage in various goals such as potential career development, career opportunities, counseling, family therapy, etc. (Egbert, Church, & Byrnes,