Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
In October 2009, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida began a post-conviction drug court. This Jacksonville drug offender program is aimed at rehabilitating drug users in Duval County. It is a Jacksonville drug program that can be used in lieu of a Florida prison sentence. Duval County was awarded grant money in the amount of $1.4 million to fund the program. However, court officials rejected the program due to opposition from the State Attorney’s Office.
The Jacksonville post-conviction drug program was not intended to give drug offenders a “break” from serving jail time. Instead, “the new program [gave] judges the opportunity to send nonviolent drug offenders to drug court after they’e been convicted with the knowledge they go strait to prison if they fail.” In general, prison is not going to stop a drug addict from reoffending, because the point of prison is to punish, not rehabilitate. The Jacksonville Duval County post-conviction drug court would have created an alternate sentence that would rehabilitate drug addicts while saving the State of Florida and City of Jacksonville money. Jacksonville Criminal Attorneys that represent defendants charged with drug crimes will no longer be able to help their clients obtain a sentence involving this program. However, Jacksonville Drug Crimes Attorneys will be able to pursue other similar remedies, such as probation.