Review of the Davidson County (Nashville), Tennessee Drug Court: Summary Observations and Recommendations

• NCJ Number: 221913
• Date Published: March 2007
• Length: 24 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2005-DC-BX-K047
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Corporate Author: American University
• Sale Source: American University
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on February 4, 2008

Annotation

A summary of observations and recommendations is presented resulting from a site visit to the Davidson County (Nashville), TN Court in 2006.

Abstract

Observations and recommendations of Davidson County’s Drug Court were presented in five areas: organizational structure, leadership, communication, treatment philosophy and practices, and the methamphetamine pilot project. Highlights of observations include: (1) approximately 34 percent of all referrals to the Drug Court were accepted into the program; (2) 57 percent of those entering the program washed out for a variety of reasons; (3) 28 participants absconded from the program in 2004; (4) 19 participants were removed from the program for being resistant to treatment; and (5) 26 percent of those who completed the program were convicted of a new charge and 7 percent convicted of a new felony. Along with these statistical observations, issues or questions requiring attention include: (1) how have these outcomes been used to evaluate treatment effectiveness and motivate protocol change; (2) have program participants been involved in the evaluation process; (3) is the overall “philosophy” of community corrections and those monitoring graduates to support them in staying out of trouble or to “police” them when they struggle; and (4) what about the 74 percent who completed treatment and had not been convicted of a new crime? Davidson County Drug Court in Tennessee has long been recognized as one of the country’s most innovative and comprehensive drug court programs that have been developed. However, the Drug Court is now at a point at which it needs to engage in a review and refinement of the program’s organizational structure, services, and operating procedures to ensure its continued growth, effectiveness, and national leadership. This report, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance summarizes the observations and recommendations formulated from a site visit to the Drug Court in 2006.