Problem Solving Courts

Juvenile Drug Courts

A Juvenile Drug Court is a docket within a juvenile court to which selected delinquency cases, and in some instances status offenders, are referred for handling by a designated judge. The youth referred to this docket are identified as having problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. Over the course of a year or more, a team meets frequently (often weekly), determining how best to address the substance abuse and related problems of the youth and his or her family that have brought the youth into contact with the justice system. In Washington, all of the juvenile drug courts with the exception of one deal exclusively with juvenile offenders.