1

Student Name

Institution

Course Name

Instructor Name

Date
 2

Introduction

The drug court in Florida is an intriguing system that aims to cut down on the

number of first-time drug offenders who end up in prison or jail. However, as with most areas

of our legal system, it's always hard to understand individuals who are eligible for Florida

drug court and the conditions required for participants. Florida State started a drug court

system that focuses on treatments of addiction instead of incarceration to minimize the

number of people imprisoned and help in rehabilitation. By offering treatment to first-time

non-violent offenders, the state sought to reduce recidivism and assist various defendants

with a chance to regain control of their lives.

Type of drug court system in Florida

Florida has several systems of drug courts that assist different parts of the

population. This system includes; juvenile drug courts; this court is in charge of the problems

concerning youth's addiction. It helps the arrested youths or admitted through the juvenile

evaluation center into the treatment of drug addiction to get treatment while still working

towards finishing their education (Henderson,2019). Adult drug pretrial intervention and

post-adjudication court are the most common drug court that deals with adults who are

addicted to drugs. Family dependency courts, its objective is to assist parents in conquering

addiction in order o reclaim the custody of their children. Marchman acts drug court, enabling

families to seek assistance concerning their loved ones. They ask the court to have their loved

ones evaluated and treated for addiction when necessary. Families searching for information

on how to get court-ordered rehab in Florida always finds the marchman act very helpful.

Veteran treatment courts are useful to veterans who have had PTSD, traumatic injury in

brain, addiction, or other service related mental disorders to get treatments.

Kind of cases referred to drug courts and eligible offenders

 3

The type of cases referred to in drug courts is the non-violent criminal cases that

involve illegal substance users. Florida statue 948.08 indicate that for one to be entitled to

admission in the drug court system, the defendant must attain the following requirements; is

convicted with a non-violent criminal offense, an individual whose cases are not violent, such

as murder, sexual battery, robbery, and carjacking (Gallagher, & Wahler,2018). Individuals

with multiple crime convictions as long as their previous convictions involved non-violent

offenses.

Drug court process

The drug court process starts with ascertaining whether the individual is eligible for

this process. The court instructed a test to be carried out to identify whether the individual

being convicted is the offender or whether the person is entitled to this program. Initial tests

are carried out in the presence of the judges, family members, and court officials by the

prosecutor. Some of the on-spot tests were carried out using fast processing devices like

breathalyzers and blood testing tools. All the other testing and monitoring are carried out by

treatment or probation officials. Drug court is not a quick fix. It has stringent conditions that

must be met to finish the task successfully. Offenders who qualify to have their cases

transferred to drug court would be required to complete a one-year treatment regimen.

Individual and group therapy, drug screening throughout the treatment process, and

involvement in support groups are all part of the system. However, weekly review by the

judge is carried out during the treatment period, where he assesses the program's success.

At the beginning of the prescribed treatments, participants usually spend about 9

hours a week in drug court activities. The court offers treatments for all types of alcohol and

substance abuse where the individual treatments are tailored to their needs (Atkin-

Plunk,2021). Abstinence or quitting is monitored using screening tests or alcohol tests

 4

administered at regular intervals. As the treatment proceeds during this care period,

commitments are reduced as the participants are believed to have achieved more techniques

and skills to enable them to cope with their addictive behaviors. When participants are found

to be non-compliant, there are specific strategies that are applied to determine the course of

action to be taken depending on the level of non-compliance. Failure to comply is considered

a criminal offense; however, relapse is allowed and is assumed to be normal.

Attending courts for judicial processes is a crucial part of the treatment program;

however, there are consequences if the individual fails to appear. If you don't show up for

drug court, your case may be jeopardized. Court appearances are an essential part of the

treatment because they enable the judge to track your progress. Because beating addiction is

so difficult, the system allows for some leeway. If individuals miss one court date, you are

unlikely to be kicked out of the program (though it could). If individuals miss a court date

due to a major relapse, you are more likely to be offered more intensive options for treatment.

During the period of treatments, addicts are taught about the negative effects of drugs and

alcohol on themselves, society, and their families, and they are required to interact with other

people in rehab to encourage them.

After the completion of the treatment process successfully and in accordance with the

judicial requirements, all charges against the offenders are dropped. However, it's vital to

note that this does not lead to an expungement; that is, it does not clear the record of any

previous indictments or charges. The offender's arrest t will appear in the record, but they will

not be found guilty.

Conclusion

These drug court initiatives have therefore been the ideal solution to the issue of substance

abuse. This system has some positive aspects, like lowering the crime rate, as many addicts
 5

tend to be drawn into criminality by their dealers, addiction, or other addicts. Helping them at

the start of their addiction prevents them from developing problems later. The taxpayer funds

are also saved to a greater amount since little money is used in dealing with substance abuse

issues than the funds spent on controlling crimes and criminal offenses.
 6

References

Atkin-Plunk, C. (2021). Drug Courts. Taking Problem-solving Courts to Scale: Diverse

Applications of the Specialty Court Model, 5.

Gallagher, J. R., & Wahler, E. A. (2018). Racial disparities in drug court graduation rates:

The role of recovery support groups and environments. Journal of Social Work

Practice in the Addictions, 18(2), 113-127.

Henderson, C. E., Boustani, M. M., & Magyar, M. (2019). Families and the juvenile justice

system.