NCJ Number
162988
Journal
Maryland Law Review Volume: 55 Issue: 2 Dated: (1996) Pages: 467-518
Date Published
1996
Length
52 pages
Annotation
The Baltimore, Maryland, Drug Treatment Court (DTC) began operation in March 1994 and celebrated the graduation of the first defendants to complete treatment through the program in March 1995.
Abstract
After 2 years of operation in the Baltimore City District Court, the DTC is becoming increasingly familiar and routine to lawyers, judges, court personnel, and even defendants. Despite relatively frequent and generally favorable coverage in the media, very little attention has been paid to the DTC phenomenon from a theoretical perspective within the legal community. An especially neglected topic involves the theoretical implications of establishing a court focused on treatment as opposed to punishment. Further, DTC practitioners are currently fighting both political and funding battles and consequently may not be able to afford theory distractions. The focus on treatment rather than on punishment is the crux of DTC's, and Baltimore's DTC and DTC's in other cities represent an advanced rehabilitative option for the criminal justice system at a time when rehabilitation theory is declining. Baltimore's systemic approach is aimed at achieving integration among legal, medical, and correctional communities. Philosophical roots of DTC's are examined, focusing on how closely the current practical philosophy of DTC's compares to traditional rehabilitation theories. In addition, the DTC's relationship to and departure from the adversarial system are discussed, along with consequences of systemic restructuring of the court system. Finally, the author considers some likely scenarios for DTC's of the future. 455 footnotes