This study compared employment, substance use, and criminality among participants who were randomized into either an enhanced employment intervention or into drug court.
The study found that drug court participants received more employment intervention that led to maximum employment benefits and those that included educational sessions focused on getting a better job had better long-term results. This reaffirms the idea that keeping drug users in treatment is important and employment intervention may be helpful in accomplishing this goal. Participants were 500 clients (327 males and 173 females) who were in two drug court programs in Lexington and Bowling Green, Kentucky. Baseline data were collected between March 2000 and November 2002 with subsequent followup after 12 months. The measures used for the study included demographics, employment, drug/alcohol use, and criminality. Project eligibility was based on drug court program entry requirements, having a self-admitted drug problem, meeting criteria for drug abuse from the Addiction Severity Index, consenting to a urine drug test, a non-violent criminal history, and a signed agreement to participate in the program. Tables, glossary, references