The Experiences of Young Adult Offenders Who Completed a Drug Court Treatment Program

Abstract

Although there has been a proliferation of studies on the effectiveness of drug court programs, these studies are largely quantitative in nature. Little is known about the experiences of persons who participate in drug court. In this study, we aimed to fill this knowledge gap by exploring experiences of young adults who completed an adult drug court treatment program. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted, typed into a word-processing program, and then entered into a data analysis software program. Using grounded theory strategies, analysis revealed several emergent themes, which are presented chronologically to provide a narrative of study participants' experiences before, during, and after the program. Findings provide insights on how participants perceive drug courts and experiences that might facilitate or impede completion of drug court programs. Our findings are particularly important for drug court professionals as they attempt to develop appropriate recommendations for best practices and new policy initiatives.

How’d You Do It? Applying Structural Ritualization Theory to Drug Treatment Courts

“…To date, there has been very little qualitative research focusing on DTCs. Of the 15 studies conducted, the focus centers on four themes: (a) DTC participants’ experiences in the program (Farole & Cissner, 2005; Fischer, Geiger, & Hughes, 2007; Fulkerson, Keena, & Longman, 2016; Fulkerson, Keena, & O’Brien, 2013; Moore, Barongi, & Rigg, 2016; Narag, Maxwell, & Lee, 2013; Patten, Messer, & Candela, 2015; Podkopacz, 2004; Roberts & Wolfer, 2011; Wolfer, 2006; Wolfer & Roberts, 2008), (b) DTC program structural features (Burns & Peyrot, 2003; Goldkamp, White, & Robinson, 2002; Lindquist, Krebs, & Lattimore, 2006), (c) systemic issues faced by female DTC participants (Moore et al, 2016), and (d) post-program success of DTC participants compared with randomized counterparts (Gottfredson, Kearly, Najaka, & Rocha, 2005).…”

“…Roberts and Wolfer (2011) interviewed female participants regarding program strengths and weaknesses. Moore et al (2016) interviewed young adults regarding their experiences before and after participating in the DTC. Relatedly, Narag et al (2013) conducted semi-structured interviews with participants in a driving under the influence (DUI)/driving while intoxicated (DWI) program to examine the specific processes by which the program affected their lives.…”