Juvenile Treatment Court
Juvenile treatment courts have been created by city and county court systems around the country to address non-violent teenage drug offenders as an alternative to jail. Youths, usually ages 13 to 17, are sent to these courts at the recommendation of a judge or the prosecution in hopes of successfully treating the young before they can become longtime drug users. Treatment courts are also intended to slow the crime recidivism rate of youths who get connected with drugs at an early age. These courts are modeled after adult treatment courts.
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Designed for Each Community
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Juvenile treatment courts are tailored to address the needs of each community, so specific guidelines and services may vary from county to county. Some are run directly by judges in local courts while others are run by the county's probation department. These courts started to gain more prominence in the late 1990s in response to the drug epidemic in large urban areas around the country. For example, in 1998, the Wake County Juvenile Drug Treatment Court was the first adolescent treatment court in North Carolina.
Mission
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The mission for these courts may differ slightly, but many are similar to the courts like the one in Lucas County, in Toledo, Ohio, where the goal is to increase community safety and reduce delinquency by providing court-supervised substance abuse treatment and intensive case management for non-violent substance abusing youth. Lucas County's court requires that a parent or guardian be willing to participate in the program as a condition for the teen to qualify. The parent or guardian must also follow strict rules to keep the teenager in the program.
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Federal Grants
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The Bureau of Justice Assistance, in the U.S. Department of Justice, has provided federal grants for many of these programs around the country. The bureau helped fund the Lucas County, Ohio, court. That program collaborates with several local nonprofit agencies to provide treatment and assistance to teens. These local agencies include Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes, Connecting Point and Parents Helping Parents.
Drug Users, Sellers
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The Harlem Juvenile Treatment Court in New York City is located in the east Harlem area of Manhattan. It covers not only teenagers involved in drug use but also drug sales. Operated from New York City's probation office, the court provides investigation reports and supervision services for youth. The office completes psychosocial assessments on cases held open for adjustment or diversion services. The court also makes use of community-based supervision that is monitored by the courts through regular appearances before a family court judge.
Other examples
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The Fremont County, Wyoming, Treatment Court Program in Lander works to increase family involvement with troubled youths by helping with cost of outpatient substance abuse treatment and affordable residential treatment. Teens are given random drug testing and connected with community agencies. In King County Juvenile Treatment Court in Seattle, a "treatment court team" made up of a judge, prosecutor, public defender, probation counselor, mental health clinician and law enforcement join together in making up individual treatment plans for youths in the system.
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References
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