Drug Courts and Recidivism

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor,___________________ without whose support, guidance and constant feedback this dissertation, would not have been possible. You have been amazing in your guidance in every step of the way. It was because of you that I managed to meet all deadlines and have been able to submit my thesis on time. You have been the eyes for me to see that which I could not through my own eyes, and for that I am deeply indebted. You are an inspiration not only as a mentor but also as a person. I have leant things from you that will remain with me for the rest of my life. I had no idea what research means before I took up this dissertation with you. Many many thanks to the research participants for taking out time to answer my questions and increase my knowledge of the subject. I understand that it is not easy to open up yourself to something this sensitive of their life. I would also like to thank my family and friends for being so supportive.

DECLARATION

In this thesis, I declare that the work presented in this thesis is my own work. I have not taken anything which is not referenced. This dissertation has not been submitted anywhere in the past for academic or any other purpose. This thesis is the amalgamation of my research findings, literature review and my own views on the need for improvement in the quality of healthcare delivery system.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI

DECLARATIONII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Problem statement1

Aims and objectives2

Conceptual framework2

Research questions3

Rationale of the study3

Ethical concerns4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

Reasons for drug usage7

The journey to rehabilitation9

General Drug Court Characteristics10

Impact of educational and rehabilitation programs10

Prison based programs13

Domains that need improvements16

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY18

Research method18

Research approach19

Rationale for a qualitative Study20

Literature search20

Profile of sample subjects22

Sampling technique23

Implementing the sampling procedure24

REFERENCES25

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Apart from the private rehabilitation facilities that offer various services for the drug users, there are prison based rehabilitative programs too. It is something that the incarnation of prison depends on when it comes to drug using inmates. This is an attempt to bring them to normal life. However, the effectiveness of these programs remains a big question mark. This effectiveness, or the lack thereof, is reflected in the drug related crimes within and outside the drug courts (Biden, 2000).

A number of people in the United States of America are against the educational programs designed for prisoners on the pretext that they do not deserve it. This could not be farther from the truth in that although they have an established criminal background; it does not impinge upon their right to self-improvement opportunities. The focus on drug rehabilitation in the prison setting started with the compulsory drug sentencing law which was introduced in the mid 1970s coupled with the much focus given by the government on the war against drugs like heroine, crack, cocaine, and others during the 1970s and the 1980s ...