The State of New Jersey is achieving its goal of reducing the recidivism rate of its population. The state attributes this success to the creation of drug courts which began in 2000 as a “best practice,” and grew to include Cumberland and Ocean Counties in 2002, and Atlantic and Cape May Counties in in 2004.
The State of New Jersey offered the result of a study by the Department of Corrections in 2001 that reported a 54 percent re-arrest rate and a re-conviction rate of 43 percent. That report was compared to statistics obtained by tracking graduates of the state’s drug courts’ programs which showed that three years after completion of the programs, only 16 percent have been re-arrested, and only eight percent were re-convicted.
Judge Glenn A, Grant told the Atlantic City Press that “Drug courts are a reflection of the changing needs of the public to provide nonviolent offenders with the help they need rather than sending them to prison and putting them at risk to commit more crimes when they are released.”
Those offenders who are accepted in the New Jersey drug court program are assessed for drug abuse history, including relapses, treatment requirements, and support systems. A client is usually put on probation for up to five years, but that probation period can be shortened by the court.
Click here to go to website
|
|
|
|
