NCJ Number
87131
Journal
Bewaehrungshilfe Volume: 29 Issue: 3 Dated: (1982) Pages: 252-261
Date Published
1982
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Most drug-dependent offenders in West Germany are sentenced to correctional institutions; far too few are placed in community-based rehabilitation programs; a small minority are committed to closed mental institutions for lengthy periods.
Abstract
Drug addiction is acknowledged to be a social problem arising from deficient socialization and personality development. Due to the criminal nature of illicit drug use, the treatment of addicts has come under the purview of the criminal justice system. The most serious critique of treatment efforts in the correctional setting is its coercive environment, which negates the possibility of voluntary treatment. Community-based, therapeutic living groups are the preferred setting for addicts motivated to self-rehabilitation. Incarceration of juvenile drug dependents in closed mental health institutions is the most criticized of the commitment practices. Based on an outdated law for adults addicted to alcohol and morphine, the long-range hospitalization fails to address the causes of juvenile drug abuse and reinforces patients' dependence upon the institutional environment, rendering many incapable of rehabilitation of society. It is imperative that more appropriate alternatives be established for juvenile drug dependents. A total of 19 references are given.