se treatment specialists, probation officer, law enforcement and correctional personnel, educational and vocational experts, community leaders and others, forcing the offender to deal with his or her substance abuse problem. (NADCP)Most juvenile court professionals who are establishing juvenile drug courts are initiating these programs to provide the intensive judicial intervention and supervision of juveniles involved in substance abuse that is not generally available through the traditional juvenile court process. In part because of high caseloads and in part as a result of a lack of comprehensive treatment resources, the proponents of juvenile drug courts feel that the traditional juvenile court is becoming a forum focusing more on the determination of guilt than on the court's original mission of rehabilitation. With the ever-growing prevalence of substance abuse among juveniles and the complexity entailed in their treatment, which must necessarily involve both the child and his/her living environment, the traditional juvenile justice process may be unable to deal effectively with the whole problem. The juvenile drug court is designed to fill this gap by providing immediate and continuous court intervention that includes requiring the child to participate in treatment, submit to frequent drug testing, appear at regular and frequent court status hearings, and comply with other court conditions geared to accountability, rehabilitation, long-term sobriety, and cessation of criminal activity.Enhancements introduced by the juvenile drug court to the traditional court process for handling these types of cases include: Immediate intervention by the court and continuous supervision of the progress of the juvenile and his/her family by the judge; development of a program of treatment and rehabilitation services that addresses the family's needs, not simply the child's; judicial oversight and coordination of treatment and rehabilitation serv...
