Lifting the Cover on Drug Courts: Evaluation Findings and Policy Concerns

Abstract

Drug treatment courts emerged in 1989 as a court-based solution to an enormous increase of drug-related arrests. Since their inception, drug treatment courts have been subject to empirical and process evaluations to provide quantitative and qualitative data regarding their effectiveness. This article reviews the extant literature on the effectiveness of drug treatment courts and discusses findings regarding various components of the criminal justice system. It is argued that based on empirical evaluation findings, drug treatment courts have achieved success in lowering rates of recidivism among drug offenders, despite problematic methodological and analytical concerns. This article also presents key components and agents of drug treatment courts and discusses their impact and relevance to policy creation and adaptation. It is suggested that when combined with empirical evaluations, process evaluations provide great insight into the drug-treatment-court dynamic. This article concludes with a discussion of the implications of drug treatment courts for justice policy.

Perfil criminológico en pacientes adictos en tratamiento

“…Although studies to date have confirmed a strong relationship between criminal conduct and substance abuse (Bennett & Holloway, 2005;Coid, Carvell, Kittler, Healey, & Henderson, 2000;Felson & Staff, 2010;Menard, Mihalic & Huizinga, 2001;Roca & Caixal, 1999;Sanford & Arrigo, 2005;Santamaría & Chait, 2004), the causal direction of the relationship has not been identified (Boles & Miotto, 2003;Kuhns & Clodfelter, 2009). Addiction can lead to criminal behaviour because many addicts commit crimes to finance their habits and avoid withdrawal symptoms (Bennett & Holloway, 2005).…”

Du sable dans l’engrenage : la motivation des clients sous contrainte judiciaire dans les traitements pour la toxicomanie

“…Néanmoins, l'analyse de l'impact des interventions sous contrainte s'avère très délicate, étant donné les différentes caractéristiques des programmes, des clients et des politiques sousjacentes aux programmes, l'extrême complexité des contextes où ces programmes sont déployés, les divers niveaux d'intensité de la coercition utilisée, ainsi que les importantes limitations méthodologiques de la plupart des recherches qui s'intéressent à leur efficacité (Klag et coll., 2005 ;Perry et coll., 2009 ;Stanford et Arrigo, 2005 ;Stevens et coll., 2005).…”

Alternative sanctions for drug users: fruitless efforts or miracle solution?

“…The methods and techniques used in this study are built along the lines set out in previous studies. 3 Effect evaluations of judicial interventions generally focus on recidivism. Arrest and reconviction rates are the most commonly used indicators for the prevalence of recidivism, [1][2][3]6] although European studies tend to restrict their operationalisation of recidivism to reconviction rates [7].…”

“…The drug court program implies the start of interventions aimed at the reduction of drug use and crime and based on regular contacts with the drug court, drug testing and treatment. See: [3]. situation 15 reoffend less often.…”