A drug crime in Pennsylvania can lead to a range of sentences. These are serious charges. Often, drug offenders reoffend because of addiction. The justice system recognizes this and hence can allow treatment to take place of punishment.
According to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, you have to enter treatment before the trial. A physician may examine or review your record to confirm that you need treatment or rehabilitation. Judges tend to look favorably at defendants who take matters into their own hands to ensure that the crime never happens again.
The criminal justice system is in part rehabilitation. In terms of drug rehabilitation, most fare better when they undergo rehabilitation from licensed medical professionals. When addicted to controlled substances, a person has more of a chance to reoffend. If you treat the problem, then you are more likely to live a life free from committing more crimes in the future.
To deliver punishment may not be a deterrent when it comes to drug abuse or drug charges. For those who enter into treatment programs, they may have more of a chance to stay clean. Now, to enter treatment does not necessarily wipe your record clean. You may also still have to attend your trial and hearing.
When it comes to sentencing for drug charges, if you entered into a treatment facility for 90 days and you face a 30-day drug sentence, then the judge can credit those days towards your sentence. In this instance, you would not face any jail time.
None of the above information is intended to be legal advice. It is meant to provide information for educational purposes.
