Kopak Albert M
Int J Prison Health. 2015;11(1):4-16. doi: 10.1108/IJPH-07-2014-0023.
Recent political commentary in the USA has suggested that there is great potential for current criminal justice practices designed for drug-involved offenders to be significantly overhauled in the near future. It is imperative to plan for these changes by assessing how well current programs serve drug-involved criminal justice populations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This critical assessment begins with an overview of the most recent research on the prevalence and impact that substance use disorders have within the criminal justice system. Although the evidence demonstrates that relying on incarceration as a crime control method for drug-involved offenders has many shortcomings, there are innovative new programs being adopted across the country. Two of these promising programs are discussed, as well as the potential results that could be realized from integrating medication assisted treatment into appropriate criminal justice programs designed for drug-involved offenders.
Incarceration is a failed practice for attending to the underlying reasons why many drug-involved offenders become involved in criminal activities. There are encouraging new programs emerging in different parts of the USA, but the inclusion of supplemental treatment options could further promote positive outcomes.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The impending expansion of criminal justice programs for drug-involved offenders must consider how innovative new programs can be fused with supplemental treatment options to achieve the best results.
美国近期的政治评论表明，当前针对涉毒罪犯的刑事司法实践在不久的将来有很大可能会进行重大改革。通过评估当前项目对涉毒刑事司法人群的服务效果来为这些变革制定计划势在必行。本文旨在讨论这些问题。
设计/方法/途径：这项批判性评估首先概述了关于物质使用障碍在刑事司法系统中的流行程度和影响的最新研究。尽管有证据表明，将监禁作为控制涉毒罪犯犯罪的方法存在许多缺点，但全国各地正在采用创新的新项目。本文讨论了其中两个有前景的项目，以及将药物辅助治疗纳入为涉毒罪犯设计的适当刑事司法项目可能实现的潜在成果。
监禁对于解决许多涉毒罪犯卷入犯罪活动的根本原因而言是一种失败的做法。美国不同地区正在出现令人鼓舞的新项目，但纳入补充治疗选项可以进一步促进积极成果。
原创性/价值：即将对涉毒罪犯的刑事司法项目进行的扩展必须考虑如何将创新的新项目与补充治疗选项相结合以取得最佳效果。
