NCJ Number
225453
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2008 Pages: 431-440
Date Published
December 2008
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article examines attitudes of court officials and drug users towards judicial alternatives of punishment in Belgium.
Abstract
From the interviews conducted for this study, results suggest that there are strong similarities between the three levels of the criminal justice system examined, which provide for a strong basis for the continued functioning of alternative sanctioning for drug offenses. It is noted that different judicial alternative sanctions and measures exist on the three levels of the criminal justice system, and that these alternative sanctions and measures can be applied to a specific target group, namely drug users. The study found that the interviews increased the insight in the attitudes of decisionmakers, social assistants, judicial assistants, and drug users towards alternative sanctioning. The current study sought to be a qualitative assessment of the application and execution of alternative measures and sanctions for drug users, based on semistructured face-to-face interviews in which stakeholders (magistrates, judicial assistants, and social workers) and drug users were asked for their attitudes towards these sanctions and the factors that influenced them in their convictions and beliefs. Data were derived from an analysis of 112 interviews conducted among the 4 groups mentioned. References