The reason for the establishment of the drug treatment courts was the realization that the issues of drug addiction, drug crimes and other crimes that are associated with drug crimes, are complex. It is not simply a question of motivation by greed; some of it is motivation by illness, maybe health reasons. Once people become drug-addicted, it's no longer a crime that is motivated by greed but crime motivated by a desire to fulfill a medical need to consume drugs. Therefore, as part of an effective crime prevention program, the government should be looking at ways to ensure that rehabilitation is available to certain offenders who are amenable to being rehabilitated to cure their drug addiction.
It's a recognition that solutions to drug crimes, particularly dealing with drug offenders, are multi-faceted. Depending on the crime, some traditional penalties may be appropriate for some. For certain offenders, long periods of incarceration are the appropriate means of sentence. For other offenders, because of their circumstances, other types of measures may be more appropriate, such as trying to steer them into treatment programs.