Timing of Treatment Intervention as a Mediating Factor in Drug Court Success

• In Event: Collateral Consequences Tailored Interventions for Special Population

Abstract

Best practices in the operation of drug court programs suggest program participants should begin treatment intervention as soon as possible. Simply stated, the sooner the better for positive program outcomes. Similarly, prior research has found several individual-level participant characteristics that also have an impact on program success, such as demographics, educational attainment, and employment status. In an effort to determine how these predictors impact program outcomes, this study employs a mediating analysis with a sample of 842 drug court participants. Specifically, we hypothesize that the duration of time between program admittance and the onset of treatment intervention will have a mediating effect on participant outcomes. In addition, we include the type of treatment intervention in our analysis in anticipation that the level of care will also influence an individual’s success.

Authors

• Ella Rose Waldspurger, Michigan State University

• Benjamin Gibbs, Ball State University

• Robert D. Lytle, University of Arkansas at Little Rock