Drug Court Program example essay topic

Looking at the Law: Drug Courts With the Hon. Paul F. Chaiet The Drug Courts are new to the Monmouth county area but not new to the United States. The first Drug court was established in Miami, Florida in 1989. There is at least one Drug court in each of the 50 states. Camden, Essex, Passaic, Mercer and Union were the first five counties in the New Jersey to start the Drug courts in the states. The Hon. Paul Chaiet after being assistant persecutor for Monmouth County for 14 years, he was appointed the Judge of the Drug Court.

The Drug team for Monmouth County consists of the Judge; Hon. Chaiet, Drug court coordinator; Noreen Carmody, Assistant Prosecutor; Carol McConnell, Asst. Public Defender; John Brown Jr., Substance Abuse Evaluator; A dri Lieb, and Probation Officer; Sara Fell. All these people are trying help the people who have a substance abuse problem rather then just send them to jail. Not everyone is eligible for the Drug court program. They must fill out an application, they will be interview, they must want to be in the program, and must live in Monmouth county. Also no previous violence, no more than three offenses, must be a first-degree offense and no sex crimes. This program is for offenders who might have to serve jail time so this is an option rather than prison.

One of the major reasons as to why they developed this program was to reduce the jail population. Since 1980 there has been a 467% increase in jail population and most of them are from drug cases. It cost $35,000 per prisoner in jail for one year and $17,000 per patient in treatment. So not only are they trying to reduce the jail population but trying to say the government money. Offenders shouldn't just go into to the program to get out jail. It's very hard.

They must serve at least 6 months in the patient part of the program. They send the offenders to inpatient houses. There are eight inpatient programs in our state. The whole program is 5-6 years long from beginning to end. Once they are out of the first part of the program, the next year is the intensive part and they are assigned to a probation officer. There is one probation officer for every 50 kids, so the probation officer can keep a closer eye on the participants.

For the next 3-4 months, once a week they must show up in court to meet with the Judge and they could have a urine test 3-4 times a week. If you " re in the program and you haven't graduated high school you must go back to school to get your Diploma or GED. If you have graduated, you must get job training or be working. If they fail a urine test they won't be thrown out because the people there believe in second and even third chances. But you can get thrown out and if that happens you can be put in jail for your chargers that got you into the Drug court program. The Drug court has a 76% success rate.

By hearing Judge Chaiet talk about the Drug courts I think that it will make a differences and actually help people..