When people break the law, many believe the offender should face punishment. This may be true. However, when there is an underlying issue behind the actions, offenders may end up committing the same crimes again.
If you or a loved one face criminal charges, there may be additional options besides general court proceedings. Understanding these problem-solving courts may aid you in your case.
Problem-solving court
As the name indicates, problem-solving courts target various issues that spur criminal activity and strive to rehabilitate, not just punish, the offender. There are a few different types of problem-solving courts. Drug courts and OWI courts are amongst the ones people recognize the most, but there are others for common issues, such as domestic violence and mental health.
Requirements
Specifically for those facing drug charges, certain components make up drug court. Referred to as the 10 key components, they include:
- Treatment and monitoring services
- Participant monitoring for compliance
- Building partnerships among agencies for effectiveness
- Identifying eligible program recipients
These are the components of drug court, but there may be a few variances depending on the aim of the specific problem-solving court.
Benefits
One of the main reasons for the development and continued implementation of problem-solving courts is to actually attempt to “solve the problem.” Many offenders receive the same charges repeatedly not due to them desiring to break the law, but because they have an actual issue. Problem-solving court recognizes this and provides an alternative that focuses less on punishing offenders and more on providing them with treatment to hopefully aid in avoiding problems from happening again. These types of proceedings are becoming popular across the nation and have seen positive results in several instances.
This is just a brief overview of problem-solving court. Take some time to fully review the requirements and stipulations of the applicable court in your case to determine if it is a possible path for you.
