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Results for drug courts (new jersey)

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Author: New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing

Title: New Jersey's Drug Courts, Special Probation and Proposal for Reform

Summary: This report presents a concise summary of the key findings and recommendations of the New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing concerning N.J.S.A. 2C:3514, commonly referred to as the special probation statute. The special probation statute was enacted as part of the Comprehensive Drug Reform Act of 1986 and provides for rehabilitative treatment and intensive supervision for nonviolent, drug-dependent offenders. The special probation statute was intended by the Legislature to divert appropriate offenders subject to state imprisonment to a five-year period of intensive supervision conditioned upon a mandatory six-month period of inpatient drug treatment. The special probation statute predated by several years the establishment of drug courts in New Jersey and serves as a mechanism pursuant to which otherwise prison-bound offenders are admitted into New Jersey's Drug Court Program. The special probation statute and the New Jersey Adult Drug Court Program are not synonymous. The New Jersey Drug Court program is administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts and involves a collaborative relationship between representatives of the criminal justice system, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and probation officers, and drug treatment professionals. The special probation statute defines with particularity which prisonbound defendants, i.e., those who are subject to a presumption of imprisonment or a mandatory minimum term of incarceration, may gain entry into the Drug Court Program. The provision also enumerates specific conditions that must be adhered to by these offenders while participating in the Drug Court Program. There exists compelling evidence that individuals who use illicit drugs are more likely to engage in criminal behavior, and that many offenses are commonly committed by individu als who had used drugs or alcohol during or just prior to committing their crimes. The drug court model was developed in response to a widespread recognition that the conventional criminal justice process had little impact on the rehabilitative prospects of drug-dependent offenders. The principal goal of drug courts is to reduce drug use and associated criminal behavior by engaging and retaining drug-involved offenders in coerced treatment. At the center of the collaborative approach embodied by the drug court model is the trial judge. The investment of judicial resources in drug court programs has been validated by a study reflecting that “highrisk” offenders perform better in drug court when subject to biweekly status hearings. While acknowledging the methodological flaws in a substantial number of studies, the New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing (Commission) has nonetheless reviewed recent literature on the impact of drug courts and concluded there is substantial and empirically reliable evidence that drug courts are indeed effective in reducing recidivism among offenders who have successfully completed drug court programs. Although more comprehensive and methodologically rigorous studies are certainly warranted, the available outcome data for offenders sentenced under N.J.S.A. 2C:3514 compares favorably to the data on outcomes for nondrug court state prison offenders.

Details: Trenton: New Jersey Commission to Review Criminal Sentencing, 2007. 50p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 3, 2010 at: http://www.sentencing.nj.gov/downloads/special_probation_report_April_2007.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sentencing.nj.gov/downloads/special_probation_report_April_2007.pdf

Shelf Number: 120374

Keywords:
Drug Courts (New Jersey)
Drug Offenders
Drug Treatment
Intensive Supervision
Probation

Author: New Jersey Courts

Title: A Model for Success: A Report on New Jersey's Adult Drug Courts

Summary: The New Jersey Adult Drug Court Program is an alternative to incarceration for drug dependent offenders. Instead of imprisoning offenders, the Drug Court offers a voluntary, therapeutic program designed to break the cycle of addiction and crime by addressing the underlying cause of repeated criminal behavior. In New Jersey, the Drug Court process begins with a legal review of the offender’s current and prior offenses and a clinical assessment of his or her substance abuse history. Offenders who meet eligibility criteria and are found to be drug and/or alcohol dependent are placed in the Drug Court program and referred to a treatment level of care that meets their clinical need. Over several years, the individual receives substance abuse treatment, intensive probation supervision, frequent and random drug testing and may be referred to a variety of ancillary service providers. A unique element of the Drug Court program is that offenders must appear in court regularly, even weekly and report to the Drug Court judge on their compliance with program requirements. The personal intervention of the judge in the offenders’ lives is a major factor in the success of Drug Courts. This report tells the of the accomplishments of Adult Drug Courts in the State of New Jersey over the past ten years.

Details: Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Courts, 2010. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2012 at:

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 124940

Keywords:
Alternatives to Incarceration
Drug Courts (New Jersey)
Drug Offenders
Problem-Solving Courts