Charlotte, and the rest of the state of North Carolina has established Drug Treatment Courts (DTC). This began in 1995 in the state and has progressed since then. DTC’s were designed to offer treatment to adults who are suffering from substance abuse problems. The goals that are set forth by the program include reducing alcohol and drug related court workload, reduce the rate of repeat offenders, and reduce drug and alcohol dependency of offenders.
The quintessential goal of the program is to reduce substance abuse problems among those in the court system, thereby reducing the costs society continuously pays for those who are using drugs and involved in criminal activity. This is fulfilled by heavily monitoring those who are receiving treatment to ensure that they follow the treatment plan. The DTC’s further provide services to juveniles and parents of neglected or abused children who suffer from substance abuse. Finally, those who are sentenced to partake in the DTC’s are required to follow the rules of the program, and must participate in drug screening.
