Exploring Dimensions of Adult Drug Treatment Courts Related to Successful Completion

Drug court programs were introduced in 1989 to reduce incarceration of people with drug-related offenses by integrating substance use treatment into court settings. Previous research has demonstrated drug court programs reduce recidivism, particularly among individuals who successfully complete the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Criminal justice and behavior 2025-01, Vol.52 (1), p.79-97
Main Authors: Gonzales, Taylor A., Cho, Ahram
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Drug abuse
Drug courts
Imprisonment
Medical screening
Medical treatment
Mental health
Punishment
Recidivism
Substance abuse
Substance abuse treatment
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Summary:Drug court programs were introduced in 1989 to reduce incarceration of people with drug-related offenses by integrating substance use treatment into court settings. Previous research has demonstrated drug court programs reduce recidivism, particularly among individuals who successfully complete the program. While much of the existing research is dedicated to examining characteristics of program participants related to graduation and recidivism, little is known about program characteristics associated with effective drug courts. This study identifies characteristics of effective drug courts by examining the effect of various program characteristics (e.g., type and length of treatment, supervision, drug screening results, and punishment) on program completion, net of individual characteristics, legally relevant factors, and mental health history. Administrative data of 357 participants admitted to an adult drug court program in a small city between 2008 and 2018 were utilized. Policy implications are put forth as are directions for future research.
ISSN:0093-8548
1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/00938548241280289