Drug Courts: A Bridge to Recovery

Abstract

Drug courts are an alternative to traditional prosecution in which a collaborative team of medical clinicians, social workers, lawyers and probation officers work together to try to find a path out of addiction. Supervised probation, mandatory treatments, as well as random drug testing with progress monitored by a supervising probation officer, the court works with a team of treatment providers, which provide clinical assessment, develop and monitor treatment placements and identify ancillary counseling, case management and outreach services. Join Judge Timothy Bibaud and Drug Court Graduates Kayla and Shenandoah for their informative, and personal stories about how drug courts address the underlying causes of criminal behavior, substance use disorder and/or mental illness. Judge Bibaud presides over the Dudley District Drug Court in Dudley, Massachusetts. Kayla and Shenandoah earned their lives back thanks to this innovative treatment strategy and Judge Bibaud’s team of caring and empathetic professionals at the Dudley District Drug Court. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to do the following: Explain the treatment model that offers a structured approach for interacting with those involved with the justice system. Discuss how this model works with programs designed to curb criminal recidivism and reduce drug use. Discuss the prevalence of drug courts in the US. Explain the effectiveness of Drug Courts with success stories from the Dudley, MA Drug Court Discuss common problems with drug courts that can affect the successful