NCJ Number
235505
Editor(s)
Douglas B. Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D.,
Judge William G. Meyer, Ret.
Date Published
February 2011
Length
234 pages
Annotation
This benchbook presents information for new judges considering starting a drug court, as well as for veteran judges who want assistance in improving their court's operation.
Abstract
The benchbook's content draws on the collective knowledge and experience of thousands of judges, attorneys, treatment providers, probation officers, law enforcement officers, and researchers. Chapter 1, entitled Drug Courts: Back to the Future, notes that the basic philosophy of drug courts reflects how communities in premodern times constrained antisocial conduct through community-based responses designed to rehabilitate and hold accountable those who offended against community norms and laws. Chapter 2, Getting Started, provides guidance for new judges who are considering starting a drug court program. Chapter 3, The Roles of the Drug Court Judge, discusses the various roles of the drug court judge. These roles include overseeing the initial development of the program; serving as the team leader during case reviews and other meetings; holding entry hearing, status hearings, and termination hearings; and representing the drug court program to other judges, the public, and the media. Chapter 4, Addiction and Treatment Services, reviews the research on why alcohol and other drugs can be so addictive, the behavioral and neurological effects of these substances, and treatment approaches that have proven effective for treating addiction. Chapter 5, Community Supervision, advises that the typical drug court program can only supervise approximately 10 to 15 percent of participants' activities. This means that the contribution of community supervision officers is critical to the success of any drug court. Chapter 6 addresses the fundamentals of effective drug and alcohol testing, followed by a chapter that reviews the essential principles of behavior modification for a drug court program. Other chapters focus on constitutional and legal issues in drug courts, confidentiality, and ethical obligations of drug court judges.