Drug Courts

Picture Jared, your typical American high school guy.

Jared is a decent student and hopes to get into college on a baseball scholarship. He made the varsity team this year as shortstop. He thinks he has a pretty good chance at getting some offers from colleges. Jared has a girlfriend, a part time job at Burger King, and is saving up for a car.

Then, with no real warning, Jared's parents get a divorce. He has to pick a parent to live with in the messy custody battle. He ends up living with his dad and her girlfriend in a small apartment. Jared rarely sees his mom, who is hostile towards Jared and his dad.

Jared stops caring about a lot of things he used to love. He quits baseball and his job. His girlfriend breaks up with him. Jared finds a new group of friends. Over the summer he gets in a few fights and enters his senior year with a criminal record. Jared starts doing drugs, paying for them with the money he was saving for his car. Eventually Jared is arrested for possession and selling drugs.

Jared, charged as an adult, serves 3 months in prison. 6 months after he is released he is arrested again, this time serving a term of a year. Jared bounces in an out of prison until he is 27, when he commits suicide.

Because of his criminal record including violence, Jared was originally ineligible for a drug court program. Drug courts are alternatives to the traditional court system. A drug court program provides rehabilitation and correctional aid for drug offenders. Drug rehab, instead of hard prison time, might've turned things around for Jared. Jared's life might have played out very differently if the eligibility requirements for entering a drug court program had been looser, and this overall good kid had received another chance.