Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts in the United States: Initial Lessons Learned and Issues Being Addressed

• NCJ Number: 198592
• Journal: Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 37 Issue: 12 & 13 Dated: October/November 2002 Pages: 1689-1722
• Author(s): Caroline S. Cooper
• Editor(s): Stanley Einstein Ph.D.
• Date Published: October 2002
• Length: 34 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Special Issue on Drug Treatment Courts for additional articles see NCJ-198583-91 and NCJ-198593.

Annotation

This paper presents an overview of the development of juvenile drug treatment court programs in the United States.

Abstract

This paper describes the goals of juvenile drug treatment court programs in the United States, and provides a comparison of the traditional juvenile justice process and services with that of the juvenile drug treatment court. It reviews principal areas where the juvenile drug treatment court experience differs from that of the adult drug treatment court. A description is provided here of the early models and the modifications and enhancements that have been subsequently made to enhance program effectiveness. A summary of juvenile drug treatment court activity in the United States is provided, along with a description of the nature of substance use and other issues presented by participating youth. The major challenges that juvenile drug treatment courts are currently addressing are reviewed, with the author noting that flexibility, innovation, ongoing reassessment, and fine tuning, the traditional characteristics of juvenile drug treatment courts, will contribute to the program's expansion and success in the future. A source list of references is provided.