California's Prop 47 Likely to Lead to Big Drug Court Closures

Addiction Treatment Industry Newswire

03/19/2015 -ATIN – The nationwide explosion in the number of drug courts and the packed docket agendas of the judges running these courts may have peaked, this at a time when many were predicting even faster growth for the uniquely U.S. judicial creations that began to pop up about three or four decades ago first in state and other local jurisdictions and then in federal courts. Behind the sudden, and frankly shocking, predictions is none other than the national organization that has represented the drugs courts so ably over the many decades of their existence. And what gives the prediction of drug courts peaking even more heft in terms of credibility is that it comes from none other than West Huddleston, the indefatigable champion of the courts usefulness and CEO of the National Association of Drug Courts Professionals, or NADCP.

The Effects of California’s Prop 47 Beginning to be Felt

Prop 47, part of California’s unique participatory democracy where direct-to-voter ballots brought in great numbers every two years and hold great sway, was passed last November and to great fanfare in California, but less so nationally as Republicans firmly wrested legislative control federally from the Democrats and the rise of a new kind of terrifying “Caliphate” as of old in the Middle East as well as war on the eastern edge of Europe all served to overshadow passage of Proposition 47, as it’s officially known. Essentially, Proposition 47 is one of the most significant steps toward decriminalizing drugs in America, even allowing non violent, etc … etc… offenders to easily have their felony possession charges reduced retroactively to misdemeanor status and henceforth all personal possession of drugs are to be reduced to status of misdemeanor, even such hard drugs as cocaine and heroin.

NADCP Vigorously Opposes Side Effects of Prop 47

According to a prepared statement by Mr. Huddleston, who did not respond to a couple of requests from Treatment Magazine for an interview, “California’s Proposition 47 … undermines the ability of the justice and treatment system to truly set free those suffering with a serious substance use disorder and or mental illness.”

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