The Mentally Ill People and the Drug Courts - Research Proposal Example

The Impact of Diversionary Programs such as Drug Courts on the Recidivism of Criminal Justices Offenders with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Histories The Impact of Diversionary Programs such as Drug Courts on the Recidivism of Criminal Justices Offenders with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Histories Name: Course: College: Tutor: Date: Literature Review: Drug courts, since the establishment of the first drug court in Miami in 1989, have consistently persisted on being effective at overpowering drug use and the criminal offences associated with substance abuse. Earlier in the initiation of drug courts, drug courts were more of treatment and rehabilitation centers for substance abusers, than judicial systems. On the other hand, However, earlier researches done in the recent past show that, drug courts are adopting Drug Court Models which are changing the drug courts into jurisdiction systems (Hannon & Bryant, 2004, p. 271).the victims are being held responsible of their actions and facing the court's legal justice on criminal offenders. A recent research done in 1999 by College on Problems of Drug Dependence reported that, drug courts are continually providing a highly recommendable and effective control over substance-abusing offenders criminology and substance use, through court jurisdiction (p.1118). This research reported that, the rate of recidivism raged between 4% -29% for the graduates from drug court program, as compared to 48% of the substance--abusers who do not go through the drug court program. The ultimate plan of drug courts is to assist drug-using offenders to recover from drug dependency, change morally, and become a responsible citizen, who is keen enough to avoid criminal acts. The court is not focused on the punishment of the criminal offenders. Successful accomplishment of the drug court's treatment is the noble mission of the drug courts, which culminates to the dismissal of the drug charge, shortening of the sentence period, or suspension of the charge (Hennessy, & Nathaniel, 2001, p.117). On the other hand, Mental health can be defined as the situation whereby a person is affected psychologically and hence either having a level of cognitive or emotional depression (Calhoun, C. 2002, pg 23). In most of the cases, mental health usually leads to inability of a person to get a balance between life activities and psychological resilience therefore being unable to enjoy life due to mental disorder/abnormality (Babbie, E. 2003, pg 40). According to the world health organization (WHO), they defined mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community (Calhoun, C. 2002, pg 23). On the other hand, mental illness can be defined as a the state whereby a person is mentally sick and hence this are usually medical conditions which do disrupt a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning (Calhoun, C. 2002, pg 23). Mental illness is just a form of illness which affects the brains of a person just like the way the pancreas is affected by disorder of diabetes. Due to the fact that mental health cases are usually culturally subjected, I believe there is a need of engaging traditional healers and practitioners in treatment of this disorders since in most of the occasion, the disorders are caused by some form of traditional beliefs or some spiritual belief and hence by including all the different professionals in this field will have some impacts on the methodology applied during treatment (Babbie, E. 2003, pg 40). Abstract: This research topic is about the outcomes of the special criminal courts application of diversionary programs on the victims of drug use and those faced with mental health and mental illness (American Psychological Association, 1995, p.185). most of the courts which deals with drugs and mental health have been used as treatment centers for the victims of drug abuse and those people who are mentally ill since time in memorial. However, there are tremendous effects of the treatments that the offenders treat in these courts. My concern is to establish whether the court have been able to administer justice to the people who are mentally ill and offenders who have used drugs simultaneously (Chall, 1952, p.785). The aim of these courts is to work closely with treatment systems to come assist the mentally ill people and other drug offenders. Also I am to find out what these court do in order to assist the mentally ill people since mental disorders have been somehow found to be relatively common term for most of the drug related offenders and more than one in three people in most countries reporting sufficient criteria for at least one diagnosis at some point in their life up to the time they were assessed for mental illness (Chall, 1952, p.785) In most of the occasion, the justice system for drug courts is constituted of judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, substance-abuse treatment specialists, probation officers, law enforcement, correctional personnel, educational and vocational experts, community leaders, and parents. On the other hand, the courts which charges the mentally ill people also constitute of the judges and the rest, however most of the offenders who are deemed to be mentally ill are usually diagonised in order to determine the mentality. My concern is to establish whether through these program measures of dealing with the drug abuser and mentally ill people can be able to achieve the expected end and finally inflict justice on the victim (Net Industries, 2005). Research methodology The research focuses on the mentally ill people and the drug courts for information on the outcomes of their program. Also the research will use both primary and secondary methods of data collection. For primary methods, I will contact interviews with members of the drug and mentally ill courts like the judges, educational experts, substance-abuse treatment experts and at least a beneficiary of this program. I will also use questionnaires in order to collect information of the kind of treatment that the mentally ill people and the drug offenders are taken through in these programs. For the secondary methods of data collection, I will refer to other people's work done earlier concerning the consequences of diversionary programs on substance-abuse victims. The Problem: The problem in question here is whether or not the diversionary programs on drug abuse victims are effective. Another problem is on the methodologies which are used for the treatment of mentally ill offenders on the other hand. I will be exploring the results of the application of the program on the substance abuse victims and the mentally ill people vis a vis the the judiciary system (Nolan, 2001, p.540). The variables are diversionary programs of the mentally ill people and drug abuse victims. The element of desire will be to note the change in behavior of both victims with the application of the programs. I will evaluate the relationship between amount of diversionary program applied and behavior change in both situations (Nolan, 2001, p.540). Background to the Problem: Both these problems are important to study because most people now doubt the success of divisionary programs on the substance abuse offenders and mentally ill people (United State. National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals, 1973, p. 632). Therefore, for the society to know why the judiciary system should go on practicing diversionary programs on drug abuse offenders, the positive impacts of the programs must be brought to light. Rowena Johns in his Drug Offences: An Update on Criminal Trends, Diversionary Programs and Drug Prisons, seeks to justify or condemn diversionary programs in drug court, through a research (Nolan, 2001, p.547). He used observation method, interviews, and consulted earlier texts on the topic, to collect data. He found out that, intensive supervision, treatment based on individual-tailoring, and court monitoring are resulting to positive outcomes on the health of drug offenders. As a result, diversionary programs are bound to abide in the handling of drug offenders courts (Roberts, 2004, p.870). Research Design: I will be use quantitative research design to accomplish this research. In this research, I will collect both quantitative and qualitative data on the impacts of diversionary program applications on drug abuse offenders and the change in their behavior (Criminologica Foundation, 1982, p.980). I will conduct interviews, supply questionnaires and use secondary sources to get information. Data Analysis: In this research, I will analyze the data using several methods of data analyses depending on the type of the data it is. I will use Analytical induction to develop a hypothesis concerning the relationship between behavior change of drug abuse offenders and the amount of diversionary program strategy applied (United States Congress House committee on Judiciary, 2000, p.772). I will also use event analysis to establish the situation of substance dependency by the drug abuse offender at the entry level in the recovery program, and the situation on substance dependency at the exit level from the recovery center. I will also use Domain analysis to describe the social situation concerning presence of diversionary programs in the judicial system today, and the cultural implications of the same (Tauber, 1995, p.65). Budget: This research will take approximately US$385. This will be spent on transport to the various judicial locations and rehabilitation center to meet interviewees, purchase of books, and distribution of questionnaires. It will also be used in preparing the written draft of the research, and for funding other miscellaneous activities. Action plan References: American Psychological Association. (1995). Psychological Abstracts. USA. University of Michigan Chall, L. P. (1952) Sociological Abstracts. USA. Sociological Abstracts College on Problems of Drug Dependence (U.S.). Scientific Meeting, National Institution on Drug Abuse. (1999). Problem of Drug Dependence: proceedings of the Annual Scientific Meeting, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. USA. University of Michigan Criminologica Foundation. (1982). Abstracts on police science. California. University of California. Criminologica Foundation. (1978). Abstracts on criminology and penology. Michigan. University of Michigan Hannon, E. and Bryant, M. (2004). Criminal justice: retribution vs. restoration. New York. Haworth Press. Hennessy, J. J., and Nathaniel J. P. Ed. (2001). Drug Courts in Operation: Current Research. New York. Haworth Press. Lowinson, J., Ruiz, P., Millman, R., and Langrod, J. (2007). Substance Abuse: a comprehensive textbook. USA. University of Michigan Net Industries. (2005). Drug Courts. Retrieved May 13, 2009, from Nolan, J. L. (2001). Reinventing Justice: The American Drug Court Movement. Princeton, N.J. Princeton University Press Rosenberg, M. and Fenley, M. (1991). Violence in America: a public health approach. USA. Oxford University Press. Tauber, J. (1995). Development and Implementation of Drug Court Systems. New York. Haworth Press United States Congress House committee on Judiciary. (2000). Impact of mentally ill offenders on the criminal justice system: hearing before the Subcommittee on Crime of the Committee on Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session , September 21, 2000. USA. G.P.O. United States. Congress. Office of Technology Assessment. (1991). Adolescent health. USA. Congress of the U.S., Office of Technology Assessment. Roberts, A. (2004). Juvenile Justice sourcebook: past, present, and future. USA. Oxford University Press. United State. National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. (1973). Courts. Michigan. University of Michigan Babbie, E. (2003). The Practice of Social Research, 10th edition. Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc Calhoun, C. (2002) Dictionary of the Social Sciences, Oxford University Press. Read More