A Snapshot of Female Participants in a Drug Court Program with a Focus on Prescription Drug Abuse

• In Event: Drugs, Alcohol, and Problem-Solving Courts

Abstract

This study provides a snapshot of the female participants in one of Indiana’s drug court programs. Data gathered from all female participants in the Vigo County Drug Court program from 2008 and 2010 inclusive (N=70) were analyzed. Ninety-five variables were gathered, including self-reported information such as prior attempt at treatment, victimization, drug of choice, age of onset for drug/alcohol addiction and family history of abuse. Socioeconomic characteristics such as age, education and income level, and employment status were also gathered. Based on the gathered data, a profile of the most common characteristics of a female drug court participant was determined, as well as the profile of a typical “successful” participant. In this study, success was defined as both completing a drug court program and having no incidents of recidivism following completion This study also compares the characteristics of the female participants, successful and unsuccessful, to their male counterparts . Finally, this study also details data on the subset of female participants who are involved in prescription drug abuse.

Author

• Mallory Elise Pugh, Indiana State University