Addicts Can Change: On the Nuts and Bolts of Establishing a Drug Court

• In Event: Convict Criminology 4: Prison

Abstract

Recently we are beginning to see a shift in dominant criminal justice paradigm in the United States. The human and budgetary costs of punitiveness are proving to be too high. Professionals are now faced with the challenge of developing new models for successful reform, yet they are faced with a system that continues to work in silos.
The development of Drug Courts represents a model of reform that addresses some of these needs. Drug Courts have been implemented across America for the last twenty years; however, they have only recently been viewed as an effective alternative worthy of funding and expansion. Over the last ten years Drug Courts have exploded with over 3,000 programs nationwide. Wisconsin, alone has roughly 55 different alternative sentencing programs in its 72 different Counties with varying levels of effectiveness. However, aside from best practices and the common ten key components, alternative sentencing programs are free to develop themselves independently with no clear consistency or developmental rules.
This presentation will discuss the development and implementation of one successful drug court in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Central to this program is a collaborative team of the various criminal justice professionals and community stake holders who all share a common goal. This goal is the participants’ long term success. All the justice and social service agencies come together in a special council to share resources and work collectively towards this long term goal, using evidence-based tools and practices which allow them to contribute to this reform that is so desperately needed.

Authors

• Janelle Krueger, Sauk County Law Enforcement Center

• Annette Kuhlmann, University of Wisconsin - Baraboo