Indiana Adults Who Participated In Treatment Court Programs Had Better Health Outcomes Than Those Who Did Not.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Substance-related crimes lead to numerous arrests in the U.S.
• Treatment courts offer a public health-focused alternative to incarceration for substance use.
• Significant variability exists in treatment court practices nationwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between treatment court participation and health outcomes.
• To examine the impact on mortality, emergency department (ED) use, and emergency medical services (EMS) use.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study of individuals accepted into 30 Indiana treatment courts (Jan 2018 - Jun 2021).
• Compared 350 program completers with 180 non-participants (accepted but did not enroll).
• Monitored health outcomes for one year post-program completion or non-enrollment decision.

Main Results:

• Treatment court participants showed an 83% reduction in mortality.
• Participants had a 34% lower likelihood of ED visits.
• Participants were 83% less likely to require EMS compared to non-participants.

Conclusions:

• Treatment court programs are associated with substantially improved health outcomes.
• Findings support policy expansion of treatment court programs.
• These courts represent an effective public health intervention for substance use.