Therapeutic Courts
Substance Abuse is an epidemic in this country. Studies report that one in five children/adolescents has an emotional or behavioral disorder; that one in ten has a substance-abuse disorder, and only about 23% suffering from a mental-health disorder get treatment. [i] Evaluations of adolescents in substance-abuse treatment have revealed that between 50-90% are suffering from co-occurring disorders. [ii] And since 2005, being adolescent and having a "dual-diagnosis" is now considered the norm. [iii]
I was the presiding officer for our county juvenile-offender drug court for 4 years. When you see the disease of addiction up close you realize how deeply it rests in the problem of dysfunctional character. In drug court the kids suffer from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. The types of mental-health problems existing in drug court and the dependency system are legion.
However, research has shown that drug courts effectively address these dysfunctions. The National Association for Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) sums it up like this:
Our nation's scientific community put Drug Courts under its microscope. After all of their rigorous testing and research they concluded that Drug Courts work. Better than jail or prison. Better than probation and treatment alone. Drug Courts significantly reduce drug use and crime and are more cost-effective than any other proven criminal justice strategy. [iv]
And in my view, given the evidence from Therapeutic Courts we need to go even further in this "therapeutic" direction and promote the full development of a "functional character" in each and every one of our citizens.
The Obligations of Citizenship
In a very real sense, good citizenship is as simple as elementary-school conduct. As an old elementary school and AAU coach, I know that good citizenship is essentially the same as being a good teammate. Legendary UCLA basketball Coach John Wooden has conclusively defined what it means to be a successful team member. In his book Practical Modern Basketball Coach Wooden said :
True success can be attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing that you did everything within the limits of your ability to become the very best that you are capable of becoming...
It is impossible to attain perfection, but that should be the goal. Less than 100 percent of your effort in every respect toward attaining your objective is not success...
Coach Wooden's meaning is clear in the context of a team. But why should this team obligation be limited to sports? Why shouldn't this obligation be the essence of all our social relationships?
If accepted, these ideas would mean that it must be the obligation of every citizen to strive for self-perfection -- just as it was the obligation of every team member under Coach Wooden's tutelage. It means that this is what every citizen would be OBLIGATED TO GIVE to their fellow citizens as an essential feature of their citizenship: striving to be their best self.
The Expectations of Citizenship
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