Improving Psychosocial Outcomes Among Justice-Involved Individuals in Problem-Solving Courts

• In Event: The Impact of Specialized Courts

Abstract

Problem-solving courts (PSCs) have been designed as an alternative to incarceration, emphasizing therapeutic treatment over criminalization. Evaluations of PSCs often focus on graduation and recidivism outcomes as key measures of program success. Notably, many of these programs also underscore growth in prosocial outcomes (e.g., risk level, education, and employment), not only as an indicator of participant success generally, but as a requirement for program completion. However, little research has assessed the extent to which PSC participants’ psychosocial outcomes improve as a result of program participation. Moreover, few studies examine predictors of psychosocial outcomes related to PSC enrollment. The current study explores these relatively understudied PSC outcomes using data from a mid-sized midwestern jurisdiction.

Author

• Tri Keah Henry, Indiana University Bloomington