Drug offenders must be held accountable for their conduct if rehabilitation is to be successful. The links of that fence consist of frequent supervision contacts and drug testing, direct access to full information on the offenders' progress, immediate responses to program failures, and frequent progress report hearings before a single drug court judge and staff. Oakland allows a maximum of 90 days, Miami no more than 60 days, between hearings. Long-term treatment and aftercare. A drug addict is not created overnight and cannot be cured overnight.
Drug addiction is a serious, debilitating disorder that demands intensive long-term treatment.
Miami and Oakland participants average approximately one year to graduation. Preferably, this treatment begins in a medically supervised jail drug detoxification unit. More costly residential treatment spaces are generally reserved for those who have not responded well to non-residential treatment. Without adequate aftercare, sobriety may be short-lived when offenders face the same problems that contributed to their drug use in the first place. A drug court rehabilitation program should include ongoing treatment and counseling, educational opportunities, job training and placement, and health and housing assistance.