Some of you may have heard this disturbing account of a drug court in Glynn County, Georiga, aired recently on "This American Life."
Usually, a drug court may take a year, possible two years, to complete. For 24-year-old Lindsey Dills, who was 18 when she entered the Glynn County juvenile drug court, she won't be done with it until 10-1/2 years later, counting time behind bars and probation.
Now, the show makes it clear that this particular Georgia drug court is commonly thought to be run counter to generally-accepted principles of drug court.
But I thought it would be a good time to mention the so-called : "16 strategies" for juvenile drug courts. (Follow the link for a monograph from the Department of Justice, explaining the details.)
Here they are:
- Strategy 1: Collaborative Planning
- Strategy 2: Teamwork
- Strategy 3: Clearly Defined Target Population and Eligibility Criteria
- Strategy 4: Judicial Involvement and Supervision
- Strategy 5: Monitoring and Evaluation
- Strategy 6: Community Partnerships
- Strategy 7: Comprehensive Treatment Planning
- Strategy 8: Developmentally Appropriate Services
- Strategy 9: Gender-Appropriate Services
- Strategy 10: Cultural Competence
- Strategy 11: Focus on Strengths
- Strategy 12: Family Engagement Strategy 13: Educational Linkages
- Strategy 14: Drug Testing
- Strategy 15: Goal-Oriented Incentives and Sanctions
- Strategy 16: Confidentiality