These courts are designed to reflect community concerns and priorities, access community resources, include community organizations in policymaking decisions, and seek general community participation and support. Along with community policing, community prosecution, and community corrections, these programs are evolving fast, gaining momentum, and spreading across the country. As the community justice field evolves into the 21st century, so too will drug courts. The mission of drug courts is to stop the abuse of alcohol and other drugs and related criminal activity. In exchange for successful completion of the treatment program, the court may dismiss the original charge, reduce or set aside a sentence, offer some lesser penalty, or offer a combination of these.
Drug courts transform the roles of both criminal justice practitioners and AOD treatment providers.
The judge is the central figure in a team effort that focuses on sobriety and accountability as the primary goals. Because the judge takes on the role of trying to keep participants engaged in treatment, providers can effectively focus on developing a therapeutic relationship with the participant. In turn, treatment providers keep the court informed of each participant's progress so that rewards and sanctions can be provided. Drug courts create an environment with clear and certain rules. The rules are based on the participant's performance and are measurable.