As a Florida resident facing a drug charge, concerns about whether you may have to spend some time behind bars might be keeping you up at night. Drugs have the capacity to make good people act in ways they otherwise would not, but drug courts seek to combat this problem by targeting the drug addiction itself, which is frequently the root cause of criminal behavior.
According to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, there are currently about 3,000 drug courts in operation in the United States. While they are not yet in place in all areas, they are becoming an increasingly important part of the justice system as more and more communities begin to recognize just how effective they can be at combatting addiction and crime.
What is drug court?
While you can expect some level of variation from one drug court program to the next, most of them typically require that you take regular drug tests and make periodic appearances in front of a judge, who assesses your progress. If you are eligible for the program, you can avoid jail time.
How drug courts help addicts and communities
If you are able to effectively complete your drug court program, you may benefit from doing so in a number of different and important ways. First, by completing drug court, you can lessen your chance of reoffending and committing another crime by about 53 percent when compared with criminal offenders who do not participate in a drug court program. You are also statistically less likely to use drugs again in the future because of your participation in drug court, and you can also save your community money by participating in drug court and helping lower recidivism rates.
In summary, drug courts can prove highly effective when it comes to helping drug-addicted criminal offenders get a hold of their addictions and put criminal behavior behind them. If you are facing a drug charge in Florida, consider finding out whether drug court might be an option for you.