Comments on: Drug Courts after Twenty Years: What Next?

By: Mary Worth

Mary Worth — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:27:27 +0000

So many years engaged in the War on Drugs, and where has it gotten us? We are still not doing nearly a good enough job of educating our children about the dangers. If we took just a fraction of the money to criminalize drug use, and put it towards education and drug rehab centers, I think we’ll all be better off.

By: Anthony Cotton

Anthony Cotton — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:48:00 +0000

I always appreciate Eric’s thoughts on topics like this. You speak about intervention at an earlier stage. I couldn’t agree more. What’s ironic about the penalty structure for DUI cases in Wisconsin is the fact that probation is available only on fourth and subsequent offenses. You can be placed on probation for a sixth offense DUI, but not a second or third. Having 12, 18, or 24 months of probation, with the accompanying treatment and counseling, is likely to do more to combat recidivism than 15 days at the Huber facility. In terms of penalties, the legislature should take a serious look at authorizing community supervision, in lieu of jail, for second and third offense cases. It would seem to me that intervention at that stage, over a long period of time, would go a long way toward combating the problem.

By: Eric Raskopf

Eric Raskopf — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:46:56 +0000

These alcohol treatment courts are a great idea in theory. Unfortunately, we only offer them on third offenses. While the numbers demonstrate that the treatment courts are putting a dent in recidivism, offenders need intervention prior to a third offense. The difficulty raised is that defense attorneys are not likely to recommend as much as 12 months in the treatment court when they can get a better result for their clients without the carrot of diversion.