Judicial supervision of drug-abusing offenders

In recent years,judges have been exercising steadily increasing influence over the disposition and management of drug abusers involved with the criminal justice system. This appears to have been motivated by a perception on the part of some judges that the courts are uniquely situated to bring about optimal outcomes for these individuals. In fact, the results of experimental and survey studies provide substantial support for this perspective, but only with regard to high-risk drug offenders who have more severe antisocial predispositions or a history of not having responded to standard community-based drug abuse treatment services. This article reviews that research evidence and considers its implications for designing effective and cost-efficient policies and programs for drug-abusing criminal offenders.