A Pilot Study of the H.E.A.T. Intervention among Re-Entry Court Participants

• In Event: The Same but Different: Examining Underexamined Types of Problem-Solving Courts

Abstract

Today there are over 4,000 specialty courts in the United States. Unlike traditional criminal courts, which focus on innocence or guilt, specialty courts offer an alternative approach in which defendants are linked with community-based treatments or services that address the underlying cause of criminal behavior. While research shows that specialty courts can effectively reduce criminal recidivism, a growing number of studies suggest racial disparities in outcomes; specifically that White participants are more likely to successfully complete the specialty court process than Black participants. In this study we present the results of a pilot evaluation of H.E.A.T. (Habilitation, Empowerment and Accountability Therapy), a holistic, culturally relevant and responsive, strength-based therapy program designed to help young Black males involved in the criminal justice system engage in treatment. We compare a cohort of Re-Entry Court participants, who were concurrently enrolled in H.E.A.T. (N=21), to a matched retrospective comparison group of participants who were previously enrolled in Re-Entry Court but did not participate in H.E.A.T. In doing so, we examine the impact of H.E.A.T. on Re-entry Court outcomes and discuss the need for such interventions within the specialty court context.

Authors

• Bradley Ray, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

• Douglas Marlowe, National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Science, Law and Policy

• Spencer Lawson, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

• Darryl Turpin, The PinWheel Group