Drug courts emerged as a direct response from the government, after they introduced and escalated their campaign of the War on Drugs in the 1980s and 1990s. This era exposed bipartisan support of the enforcement of drug laws, and its effect on low level drug offenses and harsher criminal penalties for possession and/or sale of small amounts of substances. Due to this, millions of cases flooded the court system, charging people with minor drug law violations, drastically increasing the number of individuals in jails and prisons. Judges, in turn, tired of repeat offenders, try to apply therapeutic jurisprudence upon individuals in hope that their action world cease. The drug courts were not at all positively effective in the combat of the War
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Crime had been a national concern for several decades, but throughout 1970 and 1980, the criminal court dockets across the United States were flooded with offenders charged with drug possession offenses (Judicial Process, 104). With so many offenders in the system for minor crimes, some judges and court administration feared that the major causality of the War on Drugs would be the urban trial courts. Due to the fear of a system breakdown, this led to the creation of the drug courts (Judicial Process, 104). When drug courts were initially established they were intended to deal with less serious offenders through diversionary programs. These programs distinguish drug courts from other courts because they, according to Chapter Four: State Courts of the Judicial Process textbook, states that, the courts “supervised judicially drug abuse treatment…to non-violent drug-involved offenders in lieu of prosecution or incarceration” (Judicial Process, 104). Drug courts brought people together in teams, which included the judge, attorneys, parole officer etc. to continue to work out programs to relieve the “criminal justice system of low-level, repeat drug offenders, freeing the state courts and criminal justice system to deal with more serious, violent offenders” (Why Our …show more content…
Director Eugene Jarecki titles the process, the Chain of Destruction which consists of five steps which lead to many drug offenders’ death or ruin of their lives. The first step is Identification, which allows the government to select certain groups of people to be the antagonists; eg. Minorities, drug addict. Secondly, Ostracism causes the public to make people hate drug users. This convinces us to isolate them in neighborhoods away from communities or cut them off from society by living in prison. Thirdly, Confiscation allows the government to have authority and ability to seize property; lose rights and the individual will lose everything to the government without any care from the public. Fourthly, Concentration, allows the originators of the law to arrest drug offenders instead of sending them to become properly habituated and treated for their obsession. Lastly, Annihilation which can mean death, or scarring your family’s line or even to prevent further birth in women. Through negative images in the media, and the War on Drugs, many people in dire need of assistance with their drug addictions, will not receive the help they need for prejudice against them from both society and the court
Crime had been a national concern for several decades, but throughout 1970 and 1980, the criminal court dockets across the United States were flooded with offenders charged with drug possession offenses (Judicial Process, 104). With so many offenders in the system for minor crimes, some judges and court administration feared that the major causality of the War on Drugs would be the urban trial courts. Due to the fear of a system breakdown, this led to the creation of the drug courts (Judicial Process, 104). When drug courts were initially established they were intended to deal with less serious offenders through diversionary programs. These programs distinguish drug courts from other courts because they, according to Chapter Four: State Courts of the Judicial Process textbook, states that, the courts “supervised judicially drug abuse treatment…to non-violent drug-involved offenders in lieu of prosecution or incarceration” (Judicial Process, 104). Drug courts brought people together in teams, which included the judge, attorneys, parole officer etc. to continue to work out programs to relieve the “criminal justice system of low-level, repeat drug offenders, freeing the state courts and criminal justice system to deal with more serious, violent offenders” (Why Our …show more content…
Director Eugene Jarecki titles the process, the Chain of Destruction which consists of five steps which lead to many drug offenders’ death or ruin of their lives. The first step is Identification, which allows the government to select certain groups of people to be the antagonists; eg. Minorities, drug addict. Secondly, Ostracism causes the public to make people hate drug users. This convinces us to isolate them in neighborhoods away from communities or cut them off from society by living in prison. Thirdly, Confiscation allows the government to have authority and ability to seize property; lose rights and the individual will lose everything to the government without any care from the public. Fourthly, Concentration, allows the originators of the law to arrest drug offenders instead of sending them to become properly habituated and treated for their obsession. Lastly, Annihilation which can mean death, or scarring your family’s line or even to prevent further birth in women. Through negative images in the media, and the War on Drugs, many people in dire need of assistance with their drug addictions, will not receive the help they need for prejudice against them from both society and the court