Predictors of Engagement in Court-Mandated Treatment: Findings at the Brooklyn Treatment Center, 1996-2000 (From Drug Courts in Operation: Current Research, P 87-124, 2001, James J. Hennessy and Nathaniel J. Pallone, eds. -- See NCJ-196698)

• NCJ Number: 196699
• Author(s): Michael Rempel; Christine Depies Destefano
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 38 pages
• Sale Source: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reports on a sophisticated multivariate analyses of factors that predict engagement in treatment as measured by completion of the first phase of a three-phase program at the Brooklyn, New York Treatment Court.

Abstract

In an attempt to address the gap in the literature on analyzing predictors of treatment success, this article analyzes predictors of engagement in court-mandated treatment, specifically at the Brooklyn Treatment Court (BTC). Current and past studies have focused primarily on a voluntary population and few have examined programs using the drug court model. The BTC serves substance-abusing individuals arrested on felony drug charges in Brooklyn, New York. A multivariate analysis was conducted at the BTC looking at retention for at least 90 days of treatment and engagement, the completing of four consecutive months of drug-free and sanction-less participation. Four significant factors reviewed that affect treatment success included: legal coercion, personal characteristics, neighborhood social isolation, and participation immediately after program entry. The analyses revealed that the level of legal coercion strongly predicted both retention and engagement. In addition, the legal/emotional coercion faced by participants who indicated at intake that they had a pending Family Court case with the potential of a drug court outcome was predictive. The characteristics that predicted dropping out of treatment included: younger, primary drug of heroin, prior misdemeanor conviction(s), and residence in a neighborhood characterized by greater social isolation. In summation, level of coercion, rapid initiation into treatment, and older age all strongly predicted treatment engagement in the BTC. Among the strongest findings of this study was the relationship between facing more incarceration time and treatment engagement. A recommendation was made to undertake more qualitative projects that attempt to learn from participants what crucial barriers they faced, what factors motivated their success, and how drug courts could improve their services. References, appendix