Sentencing diversion programs for A&D--improving their imperiled future.

Self-proclaimed U.S. "Conservatives" have become much more forceful in attacking all government social support programs, including cost-reducing sentencing diversion programs, as failing to unambiguously reduce conveniently assigned behavioral parameters or other behavior assumed to be causally related. Public anxiety and continuing need to feel "something is being done" is thus manipulated to divert anger away from the elected officials' understandable inability to solve complex, multifactorial problems. Several cases will illustrate how court-mandated attendance in Alcohol and Drug programs might better identify and respond to the frequent concerns by this population, about sexual dysfunction and/or high or high risk behaviors, hopefully promoting client/patient involvement in the process of treatment and potential change.