Factors In Fighting Recidivism

Register to read the introduction… Drug court participants who had more status hearings and received more praise from the judge later reported committing fewer crimes and using drugs less often than those with less contact and praise (Anonymous). This is in line with low self-esteem being one of the reasons that people do drugs in the first place (Reasoner, N.D.) In the maddening frenzy of drugs being on every corner, in every closet, in every automobile, and everywhere one seems to turn, we need not forget that, although a drug user has a stigma attached, every individual has a story. Everyone is worth saving, but not everyone will be. They don’t need to be treated like cattle without a face or name. They are human and were probably very different before drugs, which mean they respond to kindness. Court programs whose judges exhibited the most respectfulness, fairness, enthusiasm and knowledge of each individual's case prevented more crimes than other courts and prevented more days of drug use. And, when drug court participants reported more positive attitudes toward their judge, they cut drug use and crime even further (Anonymous). Although we have an epidemic of drug use today, we have to continue to fight drug use for the future of this country. …show more content…
Most drugs are illegal, save alcohol, and people from the best families are affected by the outcomes of usage, whether through beginning casual use or the harsher end of it…addiction and death. There are many good preventive drug abuse programs that target the early years. Drug addiction treatments and counseling are available for the asking, but few are. Our children, a precious resource, the future of our country, deserve to have every opportunity to overcome societal obstacles. We need every program available to combat drug use, abuse, and addiction. Every man, woman, and child that want to help combat drug use and addiction need to make themselves available to individual family members, friends, and even volunteer for support groups. The key is early intervention before a life of crime begins. The criminal justice system is overcrowded with alcohol and drug abusers. The rate of recidivism in the U.S. is estimated to be about two‐thirds, which means that two‐thirds of released inmates will be re‐incarcerated within three years (Lise McKean & Ransford, 2004). Considering the fact that crime is complex to begin with, deciphering the drug-crime connection becomes very difficult, and the conclusions are necessarily that much more elusive and tentative (Bartol & Bartol, 2008). Drug use is not necessarily the cause of crime, but even drugs alone, a crime in itself, is a battle that has to be fought. References American News Service. (2000). Drug Treatment Programs Scarce and Getting Scarcer. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from ADR Times: http://www.adrtimes.com/articles/2011/7/12/drug-treatment-programs-scarce-and-getting- scarcer.html Anonymous. JUDGES' POSITIVE IMPACT ON DRUG COURTS. (2011, August). Courts Today, 9(4), 36. Retrieved January 23, 2012, from ProQuest Criminal Justice. (Document ID: 2478580741). Bartol, C., & Bartol, A. (2008). Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Baxter, C. (2011, November 28). Gov. Christie aims to offer non-violent drug offenders treatment and counseling, not send them to prison. Retrieved February 4, 2012, from nj.com: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/gov_christie_to_offer_non-viol.html Bureau of Justice Assistance. (2012). BJA Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program:The Drug Court Movement. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/12DCResource.pdf Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2012, February 3). Retrieved February 3, 2012, from Office of Justice Programs: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/dcf/duc.cfm D.A.R.E. and School Connectedness. (N.D.). Retrieved February 4, 2012, from D.A.R.E.: http://www.dare.com/home/resources/documents/D.pdf Drugs and Crime. (2011, September 29). Retrieved February 3, 2012, from sjsu.edu http://www.sjsu.edu/people/christian.wellisch/courses/phil61/s2/Drugs%20and%20Crime. pdf References Cont'd James, D. J., & Karberg, J. C. (2005, July 1). Substance Dependence, Abuse, and Treatment of Jail Inmates, 2002. Retrieved February 3, 2012, from United States DOJ: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=1128 Lipton, D. L. (1995, November). The Effectiveness of Treatment for Drug Abusers Under Criminal Justice Supervision. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from U.S. Department of Justice- National Institute of Justice: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/drugsupr.pdf Lise McKean, P., & Ransford, C. (2004, August). Current Strategies for Reducing Recidivism. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from Center for Impact Research: http://targetarea.org/researchdoc/recidivismfullreport.pdf MSNBC. (2005, June 25). Alcohol linked to 75,000 U.S. deaths a year. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from MSNBC Network: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6089353/ns/health- addictions/t/alcohol-linked-us-deaths-year/ NIDA, 2. (2011,