NCJ Number
195439
Journal
American Jails Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: May/June 2000 Pages: 27-28,30,31
Date Published
2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document is a case study of the first 3 years of operations of the Orange County, California Drug Court.
Abstract
In an effort to address the increasing number of drug arrests, some jurisdictions have been experimenting with alternative dispositions and commitments for nonviolent drug offenders. One such diversionary program is Drug Courts. The development of Drug Courts as specialized diversion programs for nonviolent addicted drug offender utilizes a multidisciplinary approach including expedited long-term treatment coupled with intensive community supervision. The history and development of the original Miami, Florida program begun in the late 1980's and the development and implementation of the Orange County, California program began operation in 1995. The article explores the three part programs’ components including plea requirements, sentencing features and the roles of the District Attorney’s office, County Health Care Agency, and County Probation Department. The county further conducts outcome evaluations of drug court participants. Initial findings show that drug court participants have increased success with maintaining sobriety as compared to traditionally processed drug offenders. 3 references