Discussion response | COUN 6511 – Treatment of Forensic Populations | Walden University

In a mimimum of 200 words from the below posting,  

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Brief synopsis of the research article you selected.

            The article I chose Harm Reduction and the American Difference: Drug Treatment and Problem-Solving Courts in Comparative Perspective by Noland. This article talked about drug courts and how others like them are called problem solving courts. These courts are designed not to punish people but to help them solve a problem. For example, a drug court would be focused on helping people get off drugs instead of throwing them in prison.

These courts operate on the harm reduction philosophy. They all have five common features first; they all have close ongoing judicial monitoring. Second, they all have a multidisciplinary or team approach. Third, they are all treatment oriented. Fourth, they all alter the traditional adjudication process. Finally, they all put an emphasis on solving the problems of offenders (Nolan, 2010).

The harm reduction model states treatment is a success if less harm is done because of going through treatment (Geyer, 2009). According to this treatment a person can get put back in jail or prison and still be considered a success. If what they got sent back for was not the same as before. For example, if Henry goes back to prison for possession of crack. His charge before was possession of marijuana. He would be considered a treatment success because he did not go back for possession of marijuana.

            I like the harm reduction model because it has the most options for success when compared to the other two models. With this model a person has a much better chance of success than with any other model. I believe more options lead to more success. Another example of the harm reduction model would be in Australia they have three types of sex workers. They have the ones that are call girls, ones that work in brothels, and ones that work the street. In the courts there they try to take the ones from the streets and put them to work in the brothels. This is harm reduction because they are taking women off the streets and putting them in better working conditions. Yes, they are still prostituting but they are safer in a brothel than on the street (Nolan, 2010).

Reference:

Geyer, M. D. (2009). Treatment outcome models

Noland. (2010). Harm reduction and the American difference: Drug treatment and problem … Harm Reduction and the American Difference: Drug Treatment and Problem-Solving Courts in Comparative Perspective. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1261&context=jhclp