Drug Courts

2019 ◽  
pp. 50-82
Author(s):  
David DeMatteo ◽  
Kirk Heilbrun ◽  
Alice Thornewill ◽  
Shelby Arnold
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Criminal Justice Involvement ◽  
Key Features ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter first reviews the relationship between substance abuse and criminal justice involvement, followed by a discussion of the history and development of drug courts, with a specific focus on their features, operations, and key components. The authors then discuss the extensive research on the effectiveness of drug courts, focusing primarily on outcomes of recidivism and substance use. Given the large body of research on drug courts, there is a great deal of data on the correlates and predictors of success in drug courts; the authors provide a summary of the key factors related to drug court success. They also mention the limitations in the extant research and note how future studies can address these shortcomings. The authors then discuss a newer drug court model—juvenile drug courts—with a focus on their key features and effectiveness. Finally, after discussing best practices in the development and operation of drug courts, “next steps” are proposed.

Investigating the Impact of Child Maltreatment Histories on Drug Court Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 799-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley R. Zettler ◽  
Amaia Iratzoqui
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Criminal Justice Policy ◽  
Type Of Failure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Although child maltreatment, mental illness, and substance abuse are significantly correlated, only the relationship between mental illness and substance abuse has been documented as potentially affecting the implementation of criminal justice policy. The current study considers the influence of child maltreatment histories in addition to mental health and substance abuse issues in predicting the success of participants in a large drug court in the Southwestern United States. Results indicated that child maltreatment was not predictive of overall court failure. However, child maltreatment had an indirect effect on type of failure, through its effects on mental illness and substance abuse diagnoses. Implications for these findings within drug court and for general criminal justice policy are discussed.

Drug Court Through the Eyes of Participants

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 971-989
Author(s):  
Susan H. Witkin ◽  
Scott P. Hays
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Treatment Providers ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Criminal Behaviors

Operating with community support and through partnerships among treatment providers and the criminal justice system, drug courts address substance abuse as a root cause of criminal behaviors. Drug court success depends heavily on implementing the drug court model with fidelity and adhering to widely recognized best practices, in particular, following the “Ten Key Components” of drug court success. This study assesses drug court procedures and practices through the eyes of those who were actively participating in it. Focusing on five rural counties that had recently established drug courts, the study summarizes the results of interviews with 15 drug court participants. Importantly, this study is an evaluation of the operation of the drug courts themselves from the perspective of the participants of these drug courts rather than an evaluation of drug court participant impacts.

Improving graduation rates in drug court: A qualitative study of participants’ lived experiences

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 468-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Robert Gallagher ◽  
Anne Nordberg ◽  
Elyse Lefebvre
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Drug Testing ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Criminal Recidivism ◽  
Frequent Contact

For nearly three decades, drug courts have provided a rehabilitative approach within the criminal justice system for individuals who have a substance use disorder. The goal of drug courts is to reduce criminal recidivism, and research has consistently suggested that participants that graduate drug court are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. This qualitative study adds to the literature by asking drug court participants ( N = 42) their views on the most helpful aspects of the program that support them in graduating and how the program could be more helpful to support them in graduating. Two themes emerged from the data: (1) participants felt that interventions that are common to drug courts, such as drug testing and having frequent contact with the judge, were most helpful in supporting them in graduating the program; (2) participants felt that the agencies that offered treatment for their substance use disorders used punitive tactics and judgmental approaches that compromised the quality of treatment they received, and they felt that this was a barrier to them graduating the program. The findings are discussed in reference to drug court practice.

Neuropsychological correlates of adolescent substance abuse: Four-year outcomes

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 481-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN F. TAPERT ◽  
SANDRA A. BROWN
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Withdrawal ◽  
Neuropsychological Functioning ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Drug Involvement ◽  
Abuse Treatment ◽  
Neuropsychological Impairments ◽  
The Relationship

Alcohol and other drug use are common in youth, but neurocognitive sequelae are unclear. This study examines the relationship between neuropsychological functioning and protracted substance use in adolescence. One hundred fifteen adolescents, ages 13 to 19 years, were recruited from inpatient substance abuse treatment programs and followed for 4 years. Adolescents were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests and evaluated on substance use involvement during treatment, and at 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 4-year follow-up time points. Protracted substance abuse over the 4 years of follow-up was associated with significantly poorer subsequent functioning on tests of attention. In addition, alcohol and drug withdrawal accounted for significant variance in visuospatial functioning, above and beyond demographic, educational, and health variables in detoxified late adolescents and young adults. Results suggest that alcohol and drug withdrawal may be a more powerful marker of protracted neuropsychological impairments than other indices of youthful alcohol and drug involvement. (JINS, 1999, 5, 481–493.)

Programming

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrece Hairston ◽  
Ingrid A. Binswanger
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Mutual Aid ◽  
Criminal Justice Involvement ◽  
Federal Prisons

The nexus of substance use disorders and criminal justice involvement is considerable. This is particularly the case in the United States, where 48% of individuals in federal prisons were incarcerated for drug-related convictions in 2011. In the last year for which national data are available, approximately half of the individuals incarcerated in state and federal prisons met criteria for drug abuse or dependence. Tobacco and alcohol use are also more common in correctional populations than in the general, non-institutionalized population. Thus, criminal justice populations have a significant need for evidence-based treatment of addiction and interventions to reduce the medical complications of drug use. While many programs to address substance use disorder among correctional populations exist, many individuals fail to receive adequate care and continue to experience complications of substance use disorders. Thus, correctional clinicians and staff, researchers, and patients will need to continue to advocate for improved and enhanced dissemination of integrated, evidence-based behavioral and pharmacological treatment for substance use disorder across the continuum of criminal justice involvement. This chapter describes the evolution of addiction programming within correctional settings from the late 1700s to contemporary practices. Beginning with a discussion of mutual aid societies as one of the earliest providers of ‘treatment,’ this chapter outlines important aspects of early treatment. Additionally, current levels of care and specialized modalities for individuals involved in the criminal justice system are presented, such as cognitive-behavioral interventions, drug courts, therapeutic communities, pharmacologically supported therapy, and harm reduction approaches.

scholarly journals RELIGIOUS STRESS AS A PREDICTOR OF ADULT SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS AMONG SEXUAL MINORITIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (40) ◽  
pp. 207-214
Author(s):  
Jennifer Schindler ◽  
Magy Martin ◽  
Don Martin
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Predictor Variable ◽  
Correlational Analysis ◽  
Substance Abuse Disorder ◽  
The Relationship

Researchers have taken considerable interest in the relationship between religious stress and substance use disorders in adulthood among sexual minorities. The purpose of this study was to examine religious stress as a predictor variable for substance use disorders among sexual minorities. A sample of 105 self-selected participants identified as sexual minorities completed the survey. Data were analyzed using correlational analysis. Contrary to previous research, our results indicated no significant correlation between religious stress and substance abuse disorder in sexual minorities. While religious stress is difficult for individuals, our data indicates it may not lead specifically to substance use disorders.

scholarly journals Community-Engaged Research (CER) as the Avenue to Promoting Well-being and Recovery in Drug Court

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Robert Gallagher ◽  
Anne Nordberg ◽  
Raychel Minasian ◽  
Sydney Szymanowski ◽  
Jesse Carlton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Drug Court ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Drug Courts ◽  
Recidivism Rate ◽  
Criminal Recidivism ◽  
Community Engaged Research

Drug courts are an alternative to incarceration for individuals who have substance use disorders and have been arrested for drug-related crimes (e.g. possession of a controlled substance). The first drug court began in 1989 in Florida and it is estimated that there are over 3,000 drug courts now operating throughout the United States.  This community-engaged research (CER) evaluated the St. Joseph County (Indiana) drug court by identifying who was most likely to graduate, who was most likely to recidivate, and whether drug court or probation was more effective at reducing criminal recidivism.  Furthermore, although drug courts are found in many communities, research rarely describes the process used to develop and implement CER.  Therefore, this article also highlights the collaborative process used in this drug court evaluation.   The findings from this study suggest that the St. Joseph County (Indiana) drug court is an effective program at reducing criminal recidivism and a valuable resource for individuals who have substance use disorders, the community, and other stakeholders. Drug court participants were less likely to recidivate than probationers, and a lower recidivism rate clearly equates to many benefits to the community.  The article concludes with community-based implications, such as starting recovery support groups that are welcoming to individuals who receive medication-assisted treatment (MAT), marketing drug court to racial and ethnic minorities to increase their representation in drug court, and disseminating research findings throughout the community via local news stories and public lectures.

scholarly journals Examining the Relationships between Cumulative Childhood Adversity and the Risk of Criminal Justice Involvement and Victimization among Homeless Adults with Mental Illnesses after Receiving Housing First Intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 409-417
Author(s):  
Hanie Edalati ◽  
Tonia L. Nicholls ◽  
Christian G. Schütz ◽  
Julian M. Somers ◽  
Jino Distasio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Housing First ◽  
Criminal Justice Involvement ◽  
Homeless Adults ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Relationship

Objectives: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with increased risk of criminal justice involvement and repeated victimization among homeless individuals. This study aimed to (1) examine whether the relationship between cumulative ACE score and odds of experiencing criminal justice involvement and victimization remains significant over time after receiving the Housing First (HF) intervention and (2) investigate the moderating effect of cumulative ACE score on the effectiveness of the HF intervention on the likelihood of experiencing these outcomes among homeless individuals with mental illnesses. Methods: We used longitudinal data over the 2-year follow-up period from the At Home/ Chez Soi demonstration project that provided HF versus treatment as usual (TAU) to homeless adults with mental illness in five Canadian cities (N = 1,888). Results: In all 4 follow-up time points, the relationship between cumulative ACE score and both outcomes remained significant, regardless of study arm (HF vs. TAU) and other confounding factors. However, cumulative ACE score did not moderate intervention effects on odds of experiencing either outcome, suggesting that the effectiveness of HF versus TAU, with regard to the odds of being victimized or criminal justice involvement, did not differ by cumulative ACE scores over the course of study. Conclusions: Findings suggest that providing services for homeless individuals with mental illness should be trauma informed and include specialized treatment strategies targeting the experience of ACEs and trauma to improve their treatment outcomes. An intensive approach is required to directly address the problem of criminal justice involvement and victimization in these individuals.

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