Advantages And Disadvantages Of Specialized Courts

Specialized Courts Specialized courts are commonly known as the problem-solving courts that promote positive reinforcement, support behavior modification, decrease victimization, and reduce recidivism. Examples of specialized courts include drug court and mental health courts. A community might benefit from establishing a specialized court such as a drug court because it follows a comprehensive model that concentrates on reducing criminal actions through treatment and rehabilitation services with the focus being on substance abuse addiction and identifying the cause without jeopardizing public safety and due process (Specialized Courts, 2013). Another specialized court that a community might benefit from establishing is a mental health court. The aim of mental health courts is to connect people with mental illness, that display deviant behavior, to mental health resources and social services that can better deal with cases such as these as an option for individuals who need to be treated more than they need to be imprisoned (A Promising Alternative, 2011). One good reason to creating drug and mental health courts in a community is their goal to problem solve rather than just push defendants through the conveyor belt or revolving door

Also, some critics of specialized courts are in favor of traditional adjudication and prefer to go “back to basics” even though evidence shows that specialized courts are effective in their goals in the criminal justice system. Upon an evaluation of the benefits that specialized courts has on a community by way of promoting positive change in individuals to better themselves and the community as a whole, it is recommended that the court administrator move forward with efforts to create specialized courts and support ongoing funding to sustain these types of problem solving