PURPOSE:
Recent
political commentary in the USA has suggested that there is great potential for
current criminal justice practices designed for drug-involved offenders to be
significantly overhauled in the near future. It is imperative to plan for these
changes by assessing how well current programs serve drug-involved criminal
justice populations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
This
critical assessment begins with an overview of the most recent research on the
prevalence and impact that substance use disorders have within the criminal
justice system. Although the evidence demonstrates that relying on
incarceration as a crime control method for drug-involved offenders has many
shortcomings, there are innovative new programs being adopted across the
country. Two of these promising programs are discussed, as well as the
potential results that could be realized from integrating medication assisted
treatment into appropriate criminal justice programs designed for drug-involved
offenders.
FINDINGS:
Incarceration
is a failed practice for attending to the underlying reasons why many
drug-involved offenders become involved in criminal activities. There are
encouraging new programs emerging in different parts of the USA, but the
inclusion of supplemental treatment options could further promote positive
outcomes.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE:
The
impending expansion of criminal justice programs for drug-involved offenders
must consider how innovative new programs can be fused with supplemental
treatment options to achieve the best results.
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