Experimenting With the Drug Court Model: Implementation and Change in Maricopa County, Arizona (From Early Drug Courts: Case Studies in Judicial Innovation, P 139-165, 1999, W. Clinton Terry, III, ed. -- See NCJ-179569)

• NCJ Number: 179573
• Author(s): Elizabeth P. Deschenes; Rebecca D. Petersen
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): 91-DD-CX-K050
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper discusses the design and implementation of the drug treatment program in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Abstract

The Maricopa County drug court is one of the few post-adjudication drug court programs and one of the first programs to be evaluated with a classic experimental design. The article discusses the design and implementation of the First-Time Drug Offender (FTDO) program within the social and political context of Maricopa County; describes the research design used to study the program implementation and impact; presents the results of RAND’s 12-month evaluation; and discusses the major changes to the drug court program since its inception. The primary feature of the FTDO program that makes it different from other drug courts is the use of a contractual system that specifies consequences and rewards for compliance with the program. In addition, the new drug court has an increased emphasis on cognitive behavioral modeling and relapse prevention, and those offenders who are delinquent in payment of court-ordered fees must attend a financial group. Figures, notes, references