Rather than using coercion, drug court judges use a pragmatic judicial intervention strategy based on the development of an ongoing, working relationship between the judge and the offender and the use of both positive and negative incentives to encourage compliance. In a drug court, communications between judge and offender are crucial. By increasing the frequency of court hearings as well as the intensity and length of judge-offender contacts, the drug court judge becomes a powerful motivator for the offender's rehabilitation. A successful drug court requires the judge and staff to work together as a team. The prosecuting attorney adopts a conciliatory position.
All staff see their job as facilitating the offender's rehabilitation.
Drug court judges hold hearings before an audience full of offenders. As appropriate, the judge assumes the role of confessor, task master, cheerleader, and mentor, in turn exhorting, threatening, encouraging, and congratulating the participant for his or her progress or lack thereof. The court hearing is used to educate the audience as well as the individual offender on the potential consequences of the program. Offenders who have failed the program are seen early in the hearing before a full audience of participants, while successful graduates are often handed diplomas by the judge, accompanied by the applause and congratulations of staff. It takes more than increased funding and full judicial support to create an effective drug court program.