Document Type

Dissertation

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Criminology

Publication Details

Successfully submitted for the award of Masters in Criminology to the Technological University Dublin, 2012.

Abstract

The study examines the Irish Drug Treatment Court (IDTC) programme and specifically its practitioners‟ role in promoting offender compliance, which is essential to the success of community supervision and community punishment programmes. Existing literature and research was studied extensively, paying particular attention to compliance and legitimacy theory as well as the challenges of addiction and offending in the overall equation of compliance. Qualitative research methods were utilised with non-participatory observation of IDTC team meetings and court sittings, and semi-structured interviews with practitioners. Five IDTC professionals were interviewed and their experience, skills, education and opinion contributed extensively to the study‟s aims and objectives. The data found that practitioners promote compliance when they establish a respectful relationship, display consistent fairness, encourage and motivate offenders, provide opportunit ies for change and recognise all successes while appreciating the fluid nature of compliance. This study will contribute to assist victims, offenders, the exchequer, and society at large by providing analysis and conclusions, which can be applied to further research and as a reference to community supervision programme policy makers.

DOI

10.21427/D7S77D

Download


Share

COinS