Intervening With Youthful Substance Abusers: A Preliminary Analysis of a Juvenile Drug Court

• NCJ Number: 185260
• Journal: Justice System Journal Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: 2000 Pages: 281-300
• Author(s): Brandon K. Applegate; Shannon Santana
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 20 pages
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study analyzed the experiences of a southern juvenile drug court during its first 14 months of operation.

Abstract

Most drug courts aim to divert defendants charged with drug-related crimes away from typical case processing and into treatment programs, with treatment progress and compliance being monitored closely by drug court judges. Some drug courts include the restoration of victims, families, and communities among their goals. This study focused on the Orange County Juvenile Substance Abuse Treatment Court (JSATC) in Florida, which is typical of drugs courts across the country. For this evaluation, data were collected on youths processed by JSATC between the program's inception in August 1997 and October 31, 1998. During this time, 329 youths were referred to the program, and 100 were admitted to treatment. Thirty-three of the 100 youths who entered the program were still participating in it at the time data were collected for this study. The evaluation sought to identify the characteristics that predicted whether clients graduated from treatment or failed in the program; data on client characteristics and treatment experiences were obtained from files maintained by the JSATC program. The evaluation also explored the effects of the drug court on the youths' overall level of social and psychological functioning. Drug court staff used the Children's Global Assessment Scale to measure each youth's level of functioning when the youth entered the program and again when the youth graduates or was terminated. The evaluation considered the program's recidivism rate as well, as measured by rearrest; the follow-up period varied from 20 days to 434 days. The findings show that client retention was comparable to that for adult drug courts, that the drug court was able to improve the participants' overall level of social and psychological functioning, and that recidivism was significantly reduced and delayed for the program graduates compared to the youths who failed to complete the program. 4 tables and 41 references