NCJ Number
213829
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Dated: 2005 Pages: 23-50
Date Published
2005
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effects of the delivery of treatment services on drug court outcomes, particularly graduation and compliance rates.
Abstract
The results indicated relatively low drug court completion rates and modest levels of compliance with drug testing and treatment requirements. While program compliance varied widely, results indicated that very few offenders were in total compliance with program requirements. Drug treatment programs were found to offer an eclectic mix of treatment modalities and counselors were found to cover a wide range of material but spent little time on developing skills among the drug-addicted participants. In short, the drug treatment programming that was provided to participants was not compatible with the goals of the Drug Treatment Court model and the types of treatments offered were not of the variety that has been scientifically validated as effective. Data were drawn from a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of drug court programming among four drug courts funded by the National Institute of Justice. Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders and surveys were completed by 52 counseling staff employed by the treatment agencies serving the programs. A total of 125 treatment sessions were observed to assess the nature, quality, and dosage of the clinical components of the treatment program. Finally, a retrospective analysis of 2,357 drug court participants was conducted to analyze the impact of treatment participants on graduation rates and rearrest rates. Data analysis relied on logistic regression models that probed variations in graduation rates based on offender characteristics and treatment characteristics. Followup research is needed on how to best promote client and agency-level accountability for clinical progress made during mandated drug treatment programming. Tables, references, notes