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IV. General Understanding of Drug Court
Focus group participants were next asked about their general understanding of the purpose of the drug courts in which they were involved. Across the different focus groups, many participants seemed to believe that the purpose of the drug court was quite basically to help people with drug problems. In each site, however, there were skeptics who saw other, less altruistic aims, such as to serve as a means to free up prison space, or to make money through generation of fees.
Click here for excerpts of comments from focus group participants.
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What do you think the purpose of drug court is?
Although
some focus group participants had suspicions about “behind-the-scenes”
motives of drug court planners, most agreed that drug courts were created
to help people break addiction and forge healthy lifestyles. Brooklyn
participants viewed the drug court as an opportunity to turn their lives
around. It was a Las Vegas focus group participant who said the drug court
gives people an “honest chance.” Some Las Vegas participants
theorized that the drug court was a moneymaking venture for the government,
and some believed drug courts were created to compensate for shortages
in prison accommodations. Miami participants found the drug court experience
helpful. Portland participants said the drug court provided needed structure,
reduced recidivism, and relieved jail overcrowding; however, one Portland
participant thought the drug court was an insurance scam. San Bernardino
participants were convinced the drug court was designed to help them.
Seattle participants believed the drug court combined treatment with an
element of punishment and was also a solution to jail overcrowding.