Final Argument

Should Colorado increase their drug courts? Drug courts for juveniles are “identified as having problems with alcohol and/or other drugs” (Types of Drug Courts). Juvenile drug arrests in Colorado have fluctuated since the 1980s where the number of arrests rose from 1,297 to 4,084 in 2001 and backed down in 2009 with 3,332 arrests (Office of Research and Statistics). Even though the numbers are decreasing, the numbers are still excessively high. Currently there are over 2100 drug courts nationwide; of the 2100 there are 31 operating drug courts in Colorado, 5 being juvenile drug courts (Huddleston 9). With 5 juvenile drug courts, there is only a limited amount of space giving juveniles the choice of going to jail or relapsing. We need to give these juveniles options, especially options that matter. Some drug courts give more openings and opportunities for the juveniles that want and need help, because it creates a safer environment for society and school settings.
Drug courts “offer nonviolent drug offenders an opportunity to have their charges dismissed or their sentence modified in return for completing a course of drug treatment under court supervision” (Butts 4). For juveniles, they weren’t popular until the mid-90s. Eighty percent of those that are brought into jail test positive for drugs or alcohol, but most are not treated. “Drug courts focus more on the offender and their ability to become and remain drug-free” (Butts 4). It is a way to help juveniles get clean; they use different techniques to ensure that you complete the program. What many people do not realize is that these offenders do not wake up one day choosing to become a drug addict. It mostly starts with how they were raised, their surroundings, and who they look up to.
In the article, “Rehabilitating Criminals Before They Grow Up,” by Dan Johnson, he brings up how some are raised in broke down homes and how parents are not giving them the discipline that is needed. At a young age, kids pay close attention to how others act and they learn the difference between right and wrong by paying attention to the people they look up to. When parents don’t teach their kids to respect others, they believe that everything they do is okay. Johnson explains that if kids don’t learn how to respect others, they will grow up not knowing what is right and what is wrong. They will believe that they can treat people any way they want. Therefore, it is essential to teach kids what discipline and respect is all about at a young age. When a child does not respect their parents, a red flag should go up and the parents should realize there is trouble. If they cannot respect you as a parent, who will they respect? This is the start of abuse. Juveniles continue to disobey the law of the no respect factor; they don’t respect their parents, so why would they respect the law or officers?
In 2009, Colorado had over 14,000 kids (Stevens 3) that dropped out and a 6.4% dropout rate in Denver schools which decreased from 2006 of an 11.1% rate (Announcements – DPS Sees 42% Reduction in Drop-Out Rate Since 2006). Even though there is a decrease, teens are still dropping out daily. For teens, drugs can be a way to get through the hard times or a way to fit in with crowds. When living in a neighborhood with high dropout rates, they’re more prone to have access to drugs and alcohol. Family becomes a great role in this also because having a family that does not care for them teaches them to fend for themselves at a younger age, giving them no limits on what they can or cannot do. Their number one priority is survival. The first thing on their mind is not what college they want to go to, what they want to be when they grow up, or what their future consists of. “Teens as young as 13 have often already tried drugs as powerful as cocaine. Teens might tell themselves they will only try drugs once, but many teens find themselves under continual peer pressure to continue to experiment with drugs and “join the party” (Teen Drug Abuse). These teens live day by day, only thinking about how they’re going to stay alive for that one day. Everything is in the moment, so with the peer pressure on the streets, they believe drugs will make everything better. The use of drugs start off as something innocent but once they start to crave it; it becomes a part of their daily life. Some teens do not know when it becomes a problem until they get into trouble, but some will never admit their problems. The ones that have a choice to be admitted into drug courts, end up in jail first and then want to find a way out using drug courts as a way to clean themselves. Living in a neighborhood of crimes and dropout rates that are so enormous, I myself, have witnessed teens go down this path. It is never easy seeing a person that excels in school, but doesn’t have the right discipline that motivates them to succeed. With many cities in Colorado having a high risk in crime, it is most likely to find teens addicted to drugs. In “the most recent nationwide survey, conducted in 2007, ranks Colorado as one of the states with the most reported drug use. More than 10 percent of those over the age of 12 admitted to drug use in the last month, ranking Colorado at the top of the scale” (Colorado Drug Statistics | Denver DUI Attorney).
All drug courts have requirements before you can participate. Most, if not all courts do not let juveniles with a violent offense become part of their program. To participate in Denver, Colorado, you are required to be a first-time offender. When caught, you must have less than 25 grams, live in the Denver Metro area, show that you have substance abuse problems, and cannot be on parole. (Denver Drug Court | Denver DUI Attorney)
In the Denver drug court you go through three phases. In the first phase, they give you drug tests about 10 times a month to make sure you are not taking any drugs and you will have regular hearings to review your progress. In the second phase, you must first have 90 days of clean drug tests and 60 days without missing one. If you pass those, you will be required to agree with the treatment guidelines and their terms and conditions of your probation. If you choose agree to those terms and conditions, you begin community service. After passing phase 1 and 2, they begin to become more lenient and start reducing the drug tests to about 2-3 per month but you must continue going to the scheduled hearings as you finish community service (Denver Drug Court | Denver DUI Attorney). With these three phases, it gives the discipline that they need to become and stay clean. Sometimes, these juveniles just need someone to give them a little push, support, and love they needed all along.
“White House National Drug Control Strategy Update described the creation of drug courts as ‘one of the most promising trends in the criminal justice system.” (Butts 3) Increasing the amount of drug courts in Colorado will not only benefit the offender, but it will also benefit the community as a whole. This is important because everyone wants to live in a place where they feel safe and secure where their kids can go to school and not have to worry about the influence of drugs. With a population of almost 1,000,000 teens and an arrest rate of 3,332, five drug courts is not enough. There should be more than one option to increase the five that we have, especially when it is in need. If keeping juveniles clean and off the streets is not a good enough reason, then what is? Helping one teen can make a huge difference; it is one less that gets killed every day, one less that goes. It is time to make the statistics history, not the future that is ahead of us.