Drug Courts: A Meta-Analytic Review Considering Multiple Characteristics

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Due to an influx of drug offenders into the criminal justice system, the first drug court was established in Dade County, Florida in 1989 (Messer, Patten, & Candela, 2016). Initially developed as an alternative sanction for adults convicted of drug crimes, drug courts have evolved to serve as community corrections alternatives, provide substance abuse treatment to juvenile offenders, and have expanded to the point where today there are around 3,000 drug court programs operating nationwide. There have been numerous meta-analyses that have displayed the effectiveness of drug courts at reducing recidivism rates (Fulkerson et al., 2012; Rempel et al., 2003; Shaffer, 2011; Wilson, Mitchell, & MacKenzie, 2006). Recently, however, meta-analytic studies assessing recidivism rates for drug court participants have been limited. The current analysis seeks to provide a more recent (2012- present) review on recidivism rates across multiple areas by utilizing a sample of adult, youth, and international-based studies. These findings are expected to add to the extant literature and provide policy makers with knowledge on whether or not drug courts continue to provide adequate help for offenders ensnared in the criminal justice system due to substance abuse issues.

Authors

• Lauren Morgan, Seattle University

• Susan Rosa Nembhard, Seattle University