A multisite description of juvenile drug courts: program models and during-program outcomes

Area of Science:

• Criminology and Public Health
• Juvenile Justice System Research
• Addiction Treatment and Intervention

Background:

• Juvenile drug courts (JDCs) have rapidly increased in number over the last 15 years.
• Despite their proliferation, there is a significant lack of empirical research detailing their structure and implementation.
• Existing studies suggest potential promise, but lack systematic, descriptive data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate and integrate findings from process evaluations of three distinct juvenile drug court programs.
• To describe the structural and design similarities and differences among these JDCs.
• To present detailed findings on program models, including target populations, therapeutic activities, and short- and long-term goals.

Main Methods:

• Conducted systematic process evaluations of three juvenile drug court programs.
• Collected and analyzed data on program structure, implementation, and operational details.
• Presented findings as a "snapshot" of one calendar year of program operation, including during-program outcome data.

Main Results:

• Detailed descriptions of the program models for each of the three juvenile drug courts were generated.
• Similarities and differences in program structure, design, target populations, and therapeutic activities were identified.
• During-program outcome data provided insights into the operational effectiveness within a one-year period.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a much-needed empirical description of juvenile drug court operations.
• Findings highlight variations in program models, informing future research and program development.
• This research offers a foundation for understanding the implementation and potential impact of JDCs.