Juvenile drug court programs provide the intensive judicial intervention and intensive community supervision of juveniles involved in substance abuse that is not generally available through the traditional juvenile court process.
With the growing prevalence of substance abuse among juveniles and the complexity of their treatment, which must involve both the child and his or her living environment, the traditional juvenile justice process may be unable to deal effectively with the whole problem that leads juveniles to commit drug offenses.
The Goals of Juvenile Drug Courts are to:
Immediate intervention by the court and continuous supervision by the judge of the progress of the juvenile and his or her family;
The development of a program of treatment and rehabilitation services that addresses family problems, not simply the child's;
Immediate response by the court to the child's needs and situation, as well as to noncompliance by either the child or the family with the court's program conditions; and
Judicial leadership that brings together schools, treatment resources, and other community agencies to achieve the drug court's goals.
