Drug Courts
The FDA Just Approved a New Injection for Treating Opioid Addiction. Will Drug Courts Actually Let Defendants Take It?
The new treatment may help overcome some courts' lingering—and dangerous—aversion to medication-assisted treatment.
Since We Last Spoke: Better Judgment
Updates to past Pacific Standard stories.
Gathering Political Support for Heroin Addiction's Most Effective Treatment
Seeing opioid addiction as a disease, instead of a moral failing, helps.
Drug Courts Grow Up
As drug courts spread across the world, new standards and best practices aim to hold them all accountable.
How America Overdosed on Drug Courts
Hailed as the most compassionate way for the criminal justice system to deal with addicts, drug courts were designed to balance punishment with rehabilitation. But after 25 years, the verdict is in: Drug courts embolden judges to practice medicine without a license—and they put lives in danger.
American Judges Are Playing Doctor—and Doing Harm
An early look at a Pacific Standard story that's currently only available to subscribers.
Faster Justice, Closer: The Power of Community Courts
Community courts across the country are fighting judicial backlog and lowering re-arrest rates.
Remembering the Drug Court Revolution
Stories from the 25th anniversary celebration of the nation’s first drug court.
The Unique Needs of Veterans in the Legal System
Vet courts, like drug courts, treat the underlying factors for first-time offenders.
Drug Courts Are the Answer: Save Money and Reduce Prison Populations
Eric Holder’s plan to reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders is met with praise, and supported by the facts.