If Defendants With Substance Abuse Disorders Relapse They Can Be Sent To Jail, Court Unanimously Rules

The case was closely watched because it pitted the traditional method of punishment versus the new thinking that treatment is best for drug addiction. Justice David A. Lowy wrote that a judge has the power and discretion to determine probation requirements tailored to an individual and that further probation’s twin goals: rehabilitation and public safety. Judges, he said, “stand on the front lines of the opioid epidemic” and are “faced with difficult decisions that are especially unpalatable.”

from Kaiser Health News https://ift.tt/2NXNNdh