NCJ Number
169764
Date Published
July 1997
Length
175 pages
Annotation
Drug courts are examined with respect to their use; their funding; their approaches, characteristics, and completion and retention rates; the extent to which program and participant data are maintained and used for management and evaluation; and evaluation results.
Abstract
Information came from a survey that received responses from 134 of the 140 drug court programs operating in December 1996 and from an analysis of 20 studies of program impacts. The analysis revealed that the number of programs and the availability of funding have increased substantially in recent years. The programs are diverse in approach, characteristics, and completion and retention rates. Most programs maintain various types of data on program participants as suggested by the Department of Justice in its guidance to jurisdiction applying for Federal grants. However, the available studies do not support firm conclusions on the overall impact of drug court programs or on certain specific issues raised by Congress about the programs or their participants. An impact evaluation of four of the oldest drug court programs will be completed by the Department of Justice in 1999. Recommendations, figures, tables, footnotes, appended background information and additional results, and agency comments