Drug court also teaches abstinence from drugs and alcohol as well as important life skills and values. Participants are rewarded for their honesty, held accountable for their actions, given positive reinforcement for the right behavior, as well as sanctioned for relapses and contract violations. Drug court works because of its treatment-oriented approach. Since many teenage criminals are addicted to drugs or using drugs at the time of their offense, addressing the drug problem may curb criminal behavior. We will film the drug court staff, drug counselors, probation officers, and the judge as they work with these teenagers.
Every effort is made to save each and every participant from a life of drugs and crime.
It is through this caring, loving, educational, and highly supervised approach that young people finally maintain a level of sobriety that helps get their lives back on track. The program seems to work. In fact, the Clinton Administration hopes to quintuple the number of adult and juvenile drug courts by the year 2000. Drug courts represent a solution.