For people whose drug and alcohol addictions have lead them to commit crimes, punishment can often keep them from getting the help they need to turn their lives around and break the cycle they are currently in. But a recent story by the Associated Press sheds light on drug courts, which favor treatment over punishment and give offenders a chance at drug rehabilitation.
More than 2,300 drug courts are currently in existence across the United States. Through drug court, guilty pleas are held in abeyance while defendants go through court-mandated addiction treatment, counseling and therapy that could last months or even years. Defendants who successfully complete the program have their cases waived but can face harsher sentences if they fail to complete their drug rehab program.
However, most drug courts are limited to taking on a small number of cases because of a lack of funding. Drug courts are only available to 10 percent of the 1.2 million drug-addicted offenders, although the Obama administration is hoping to increase funding in the future.