Drug Courts

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Drug Courts
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Drug Courts The National Perspective

• Presentation by the Virginia Drug Treatment Court
  Advisory Committee
• Planning and Development
• Sub-committee
• June 2008

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Drug Courts The National Perspective

• Do Drug Courts reduce recidivism?
• Are Drug Courts cost effective?
• Do Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and save
  lives?
• Where are Drug Courts in the United States?
• Who support Drug Courts nationally?

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Drug Courts Reduce Recidivism

• Drug Courts reduce crime by an average of 8 to
  26, with most estimates from 9 to 14.
  Well-functioning drug courts reduce crime rates
  by 35 and the effects last at least 3 years.

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Drug Courts Reduce Recidivism

• Statistics based on 5 meta-analyses of drug
  courts.
• Meta-analysis scientists statistically average
  the effects of a program over numerous research
  studies.

• The meta-analyses of drug courts involve at least
  5 experimental studies, dozens of
  quasi-experimental studies, and dismantling
  studies.

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Drug Courts Reduce Recidivism

• In addition to dismantling studies, there have
  been matching effects studies.
• Few, if any, other criminal justice programs come
  close to this level of scrutiny. Painting the
  Current Picture A National Report Card on Drug
  Courts and Other Problem-Solving Court Programs
  in the United States, BJA, May 2008, Vol. II, No.
  1

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Drug Courts reduce recidivism other studies

• 2001 Columbia Universitys Natl Center on
  Addiction and Substance Abuse Study based on a
  review of 37 evaluations (updated 2000 study, 48
  other evaluations) average recidivism rate for
  those who complete Drug Court is between 4 and
  29, compared to 48 for those who do not
  participate in a Drug Court program.

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Drug Courts reduce recidivism other studies

• 9 Adult Drug Courts in California re-arrest
  rates over a 4 year period were 29 for drug
  court participants and 17 for drug court
  graduates, compared to 41 for similar drug
  offenders who did not participate in drug court.
  Carey, Finigan, Crumpton Waller, 2006

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Drug Courts reduce recidivism Meta-Analyses
Citation Institution Number of Drug Courts Crime Reduced on Avg. by
Wilson et al. (2006) Campbell Collaborative 55 14 to 26
Latimer et al. (2006) Canada Dept. of Justice 66 14
Shaffer et al. (2006) Univ. of Nevada 76 9
Lowenkamp et al. (2005) Univ. of Cincinnati 22 8
Aos et al. (2006) Washington State Inst. For Public Policy 57 8
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Drug Courts reduce recidivism other studies

• 4 Adult Drug Courts in Massachusetts drug court
  participants were 13 less likely to be
  re-arrested, 34 less likely to be re-convicted,
  and 24 less likely to be re-incarcerated than
  probationers who had been carefully matched to
  the drug court participants using sophisticated
  propensity score analyses Rhodes, Kling,
  Shively, 2006.

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Drug Courts Reduce Recidivism

• The most rigorous and conservative estimate of
  the effect of any program is derived from
  meta-analyses.
• The figures are averages, and include programs
  that were poorly implemented, targeted to the
  wrong people, or had only recently opened their
  doors.

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Drug Courts reduce recidivism other studies

• Recent long-term evaluation of a Portland, Oregon
  Drug Court found that crime was reduced by 30
  over 5 years, and effects on crime were still
  detectable 14 years from the time of arrest
  Finigan, Carey Cox, 2007

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Drug Courts reduce recidivism other studies

• ABA Summer 2004 study of 6 NY drug courts (Bronx,
  Brooklyn, Queens, Suffolk County, Syracuse and
  Rochester)
• The 6 drug courts reduced the reconviction rate
  by an average of 29 over 3 years after the
  initial arrest.
• Over one year post-program, the reconviction rate
  was 71 less for graduates compared with
  nonparticipants across the 6 courts.

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Recidivism Rates Compared
Recidivism Rates Compared Recidivism Rates Compared Recidivism Rates Compared
City Traditional Court Drug Court
Denver, CO 58 53
Multnomah County, OR (Portland) 1.53 0.59
Oakland, CA 1.33 0.75
Riverside, CA 33.0 13.4
Travis County, TX 41.0 38.0
Wilmington, DE 51.1 33.3
Expressed not as a percentage, but rather as the average number of arrests suffered during the follow-up period. Expressed not as a percentage, but rather as the average number of arrests suffered during the follow-up period. Expressed not as a percentage, but rather as the average number of arrests suffered during the follow-up period.
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Drug Courts are cost effective

• Incarceration of drug using offenders costs
  between 20,000 and 50,000 per person, per year.
  The capital costs of building a prison cell can
  be as high as 80,000. A comprehensive drug court
  system typically costs between 2,500 and 4,000
  annually for each offender. NADCP, The Facts on
  Drug Courts available at www.nadcp.org.

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Drug Courts are cost effective

• Results of several large-scale, rigorous cost
  analyses of adult drug court programs For every
  1,000 invested in adult drug courts, communities
  reaped approximately 2 to 4 in benefits,
  totaling roughly 3,000 to 12,000 per
  participant.
• Dr. Douglas B. Marlow, J.D., Ph.D. Chief of
  Research, Law and Policy, NADCP

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Cost Analyses
Citation Avg. Benefit Per 1 Invested Avg. Cost Saving Per Drug Court Client Total Projected Cost Savings
Loman (2004) 2.80 to 6.32 2,615 to 7,707 298,399 after 4 yrs
Finigan et al. (2006) 2.63 6,744 to 12,218 7.9 million per yr.
Barnoski Aos (2003) 1.74 2,888 N/A
Carey et al. (2006) 3.50 11,000 9 million per yr.
Aos et al. (2006) N/A 4,767 N/A
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Cost Analyses other studies

• Washington, DC 1 year of Drug Court costs
  1,800 to 4,400 per participant. This compares
  to at least 20,000 per year to jail an offender.
• Notre Dame Law Review, Therapeutic
  Jurisprudence and the Drug Treatment Court
  Movement Vol. 72, Issue 2, Jan. 1999.

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Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and save lives

• The additional medical costs associated with the
  delivery of a drug-addicted baby are estimated to
  range from approximately 1,500 to 25,000 per
  day Cooper, 2004

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Drug Courts save lives

• Neonatal intensive care expenses can range from
  25,000 to 35,000 for the care of low-birth
  weight newborns and may reach 250,000 over the
  course of the first year of life Office of
  Justice Programs, 1997.

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Drug Courts save lives

• Continuous care expenses through the age of 18
  years for developmentally delayed children can be
  as high as 750,000 Janovsky Kalotra, 2003.

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Drug Courts save lives

• 34 states and territories provided usable data on
  confirmed births of drug free babies to their
  drug court participants.
• During 2005, 844 drug free babies were born to
  active female drug court participants.
• 2005 National Survey on Drug Courts and Other
  Problem-solving Courts, National Drug Court
  Institute.

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Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and save lives

• Drug courts provide closer, more comprehensive
  supervision and much more frequent drug testing
  and monitoring during the program, than other
  forms of community supervision. Drug use and
  criminal behavior are substantially reduced while
  offenders are participating in drug court.
• Columbia University, National Center on
  Addiction and Substance Abuse. Research on Drug
  Courts A Critical Review, 2001.

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Drug Courts reduce substance abuse and save lives

• The longer an addicted person stays in treatment,
  the better the outcome.
• Extensive research confirms that treatment is the
  most cost effective way to combat drug abuse and
  non-violent drug-related crime.
• Over 70 of all drug-using offenders who entered
  drug court programs either successfully completed
  or are current participants.
• General Accounting Office, 1997

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Where are Drug Courts located? How many are there?

• Drug Courts are in all 50 states, plus DC, Puerto
  Rico, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
• There are 1,872 Drug Courts
• An additional 255 Drug Courts are in the planning
  process
• BJA Drug Court Clearinghouse, May 23, 2008

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• The Executive Branch of Government
• The Legislative Branch of Government
• The Judicial Branch of Government

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• Drug courts are an effective and cost efficient
  way to help non-violent drug offenders commit to
  a rigorous drug treatment program in lieu of
  prison.
• President George W. Bush

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• By leveraging the coercive power of the criminal
  justice system, drug courts can alter the
  behavior of non-violent, low-level drug offenders
  through a combination of judicial supervision,
  case management, mandatory drug testing, and
  treatment to ensure abstinence from drugs, and
  escalating sanctions.
• President Bush, Blueprint for New Beginnings,
  February 28, 2001.

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• Three quarters of the growth in the number of
  federal prison inmates is due to drug crimes.
  Building new prisons will go only so far. Drug
  courts and mandatory testing and treatment are
  effective. I have seen drug courts work. I know
  they . . . make a difference.
• Former President William J. Clinton

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• The long-term viability of the existing drug
  courts is critical, and can best be accomplished
  by ensuring that the courts are able to support
  the full range of servicesespecially treatment
  and training--that are needed by drug court
  clients if they are to break the cycle of drug
  abuse and criminal activity.
• Former Attorney General John Ashcroft

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• Drug usage of offenders participating in drug
  court programs is substantially reduced when they
  are in the programs, and for most participants
  who complete the program, drug use is eliminated
  altogether let us get that message out to
  Congress, to state legislatures, to cities,
  county commissioners treatment does work.
• Former Attorney General Janet Reno

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• The establishment of drug courts, coupled with
  their judicial leadership, constitutes one of
  the most monumental changes in social justice in
  this country since WWII. Maintaining the
  integrity of the drug court movement will take
  constant monitoring and reassessment of their
  progress.
• General Barry McCaffrey (ret.), Former Director,
  Office of National Drug Control Policy

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• Through drug courts, we have an opportunity to
  build an era of responsibility. On behalf of the
  DEA, I want to thank all of you who are so
  committed to this important work. There is no
  doubt that you make a lasting and significant
  impact on our society. Everyday you are giving
  people a second chance at a new future. That is
  what America is about. We are a nation of second
  chances.
• Asa Hutchinson, Administrator, Drug Enforcement
  Administration

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Who supports Drug Courts? - Legislative Support

• A record 120 Members of Congress up from 78
  members in 2007 formally requested 40 million
  in funding for the DOJ drug court grant program.
• 77 U.S. Representatives and 43 U.S. Senators
  co-signed letters requesting 40 million in
  fiscal year 2009.
• See attachment for press release and list of 120
  Members of Congress

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Legislative Support

• 5/1/08 Senator J. Biden, on S.Resolution No.
  534, urging local, state, and federal officials
  to help expand and robustly fund drug courts, and
  designating May 2008 as National Drug Court Month
• Theres no question that drug courts save lives.

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Senator Biden, cont

• These programs are some of the most
  cost-effective and proven approaches to breaking
  the cycle of drug addiction and crime that infect
  our communities. I hope that during National Drug
  Court Month we can all celebrate drug courts
  important role in saving lives and communities.

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Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)

• Drug courts present an opportunity for
  communities to come together and divert offenders
  to a system that will allow better rehabilitation
  of drug users. With National Drug Court Month in
  May, we can highlight programs that help to
  reduce drug use in our communities by keeping
  people from repeating their offenses.
• www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements
  /2008/may-drug-court-month.html

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• Judicial Support -

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Chief Justices of Highest State Courts

• The national Conference of Chief Justices passed
  a resolution supporting Drug Courts
• Proposal from Task Force on Therapeutic Justice
  of the Conference of Chief Justices adopted as
  proposed at the 52nd Annual Meeting, 8/5/00.

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• In 1999 the Conference of State Court
  Administrators passed a resolution in support of
  drug courts.
• In 2000 the Conference of State Court
  Administrators passed a resolution in support of
  problem solving courts.

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Drug Court Judges

• There are approximately 2,775 judges serving as
  Drug Court judges for programs operating or being
  planned.
• There are approximately 2,500 judges who have
  previously served as Drug Court judges.
• American Univ., BJA Drug Court Clearinghouse, May
  23, 2008.

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Drug Courts

• 56 of drug court judges are former prosecutors
• 23 of drug court judges are former public
  defenders
• NADCP Talking Points/Statistics on Drug Courts

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Who supports Drug Courts?

• The American Bar Association
• Approved Standard 2.77, recognizing support for
  drug courts at the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago,
  Ill, 8/7/01

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Drug Courts

• In February 2005, the Government Accountability
  Office (GAO) issued a report confirming that drug
  courts are an effective tool in reducing
  substance abuse and related crime.

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Drug Courts

• We know that drug courts outperform virtually
  all other strategies that have been attempted for
  drug-involved offenders.
• Marlow, Dematteo, Festinger, 2003. From
  National Drug Court Institute, Office of National
  Drug Control Policy, BJA. www.ndci.org/courtfacts.
  htm

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Drug Courts

• For a decade, the research on Drug Courts,
  spanning more than 100 program evaluations and at
  least five scientifically rigorous meta-analyses,
  has yielded definitive proof that Drug Courts
  significantly reduce crime and substance abuse,
  and produce greater cost-benefits than any other
  justice strategy.
• Urban Institute Report, from NADCP CEO West
  Huddleston, May 21, 2008.

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Drug Courts Work!Thank you.