Poster #254 - Violent Offenders with Substance Use Issues: Assessing the Potential of Drug Treatment Courts

• In Event: ASC Poster Session II

Abstract

Drug treatment courts (DTCs) provide rehabilitative services to justice-involved individuals with substance use issues in lieu of incarceration (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1997). Although best practices discourage automatic exclusions of certain types of offenders in DTCs, programs often restrict their eligibility criteria to serve nonviolent offenders only (All Rise, 2024). Few studies have examined whether violent offenders could succeed in DTC if given the chance to participate (Mitchell et al., 2012; Rempel et al., 2012; Saum & Hiller, 2008). This study examines recidivism outcomes, defined by arrests following program discharge, in a Florida DTC that accepts both violent and nonviolent offenders. A Cox proportional hazards model will be conducted for all participants discharged over a six-year period to determine whether prior violent offending predicts time to recidivism. Preliminary findings suggest that among violent offenders in this DTC, battery and aggravated battery are the most common violent misdemeanor and felony offense types, respectively. This study will inform evaluators, drug court personnel, and policymakers in the field about the effectiveness of DTCs for violent offenders.

Author

• Brooke Haney, University of South Florida