PANEL WORKSHOP - COURT MANDATED TREATMENT - OBSTACLE OR OPPORTUNITY?

• NCJ Number: 57677
• Journal: Contemporary Drug Problems Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (1976) Pages: 321-377
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 57 pages
• Corporate Author: Federal Legal Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PROCEEDINGS OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT PROGRAMS ARE DOCUMENTED.

Abstract

THE ISSUES ADDRESSED DURING THE WORKSHOP WERE AS FOLLOWS: WHETHER TREATMENT OUTCOMES DIFFER FOR COURT-REFERRED AND VOLUNTARY CLIENTS, WHAT EFFECTS COURT REFERRALS HAVE ON TREATMENT PROGRAMS, AND WHETHER AN EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND TREATMENT SYSTEMS IS POSSIBLE. THE WORKSHOP REPORT CONSISTS OF A SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS, A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT, AND A LIST OF PARTICIPANTS. THE WORKSHOP OPENED WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON AND THEN MOVED TO A DISCUSSION OF IN-PRISON TREATMENT AS COMPARED TO THESE ALTERNATIVES. TREATMENT PROVIDERS CRITICIZED THE DEHUMANIZING ATOMOSPHERE OF PRISONS AND FELT THAT TREATMENT SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN THE COMMUNITY, WHEREAS SOME CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM REPRESENTATIVES FELT THAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KEEP CRIMINALS ISOLATED. SAFE-DRIVING PROGRAMS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO JAIL FINES FOR DRUNK DRIVERS WERE DISCUSSED, AS WAS TREATMENT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO IMPRISONMENT FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSERS CONVICTED OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES. SOME FELT THAT DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMS HAVE OVERSOLD THEMSELVES, AND THAT THE COURTS ARE DISILLUSIONED WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE FAILURE OF TREATMENT. OTHERS FELT THAT IT IS UNREALISTIC TO EXPECT ADDICTION TREATMENT PROGRAMS TO ERADICATE ALL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. A STUDY INDICATING TWO TYPES OF COURT-REFERRED CLIENTS OF ADDICTION PROGRAMS -- THOSE WHOSE PRIMARY PROBLEM IS A CRIMINAL IDENTITY, AND THOSE FOR WHOM THE DRUG PROBLEM IS PRIMARY -- WAS REPORTED AND DISCUSSED. A JUDGE PREDICTED THAT THE TREND TOWARD CONSERVATISM WILL MEAN MORE IN-PRISON TREATMENT, WITH COMMUNITY-BASED CENTERS RELEGATED TO A FOLLOWUP FUNCTION. OTHER PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS OF TREATMENT PROVIDERS IN WISCONSIN PRISONS AND THE ATTITUDES OF PRISON STAFF TOWARD TREATMENT. THE PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT RESPECT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND COMMITMENT TO REHABILITATION ARE PREREQUISITES FOR EFFECTIVE TREATMENT IN PRISON. (LKM)