Source: (2001) Federal Probation: A Journal of Correctional Philosophy and Practice (December): 40-45.
In the perspective of the authors of this paper, imprisonment for drug-related offenses is the primary strategy for crime control in the United States. The consequences are noteworthy: large increases in criminal justice costs due to large increases in prison populations; minimal crime reduction effects on drug offenders as a result of this strategy; and a disproportionate impact of these policies on minority populations and communities. Against this background, the authors discuss an alternative to incarceration for drug-related offenses: residential therapeutic community treatment. They note that the recent development of many drug courts across the United States indicates a growing acceptance that community-based treatment may be a promising alternative to imprisonment of drug offenders.
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