Key Moments in NADCP History

1
Key Moments in NADCP History

• Adult Drug Court
• Best Practice Standards
• Volume I
• National Association of
• Drug Court Professionals

2
What is a Drug Court?

• A non-adversarial court hearing where drug
  treatment is integrated with justice system case
  processing.

3
2,734 Drug (Tx) Courts

• 1,475 Adult Drug Courts
• 458 Juvenile Drug Courts
• 334 Family Drug Courts
• 208 DWI Courts
• 104 Veterans Treatment Court
• 89 Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts
• 30 Reentry Drug Courts
• 31 Federal Drug Courts
• 5 Campus Drug Courts

4
Effectiveness of Drug Courts

• The scientific community has put drug courts
• under its microscope and concluded that drug
• courts work better than jail or prison, better
  than probation alone, and better than treatment
  alone.

5
Drug Courts Reduce Substance Abuse by More than
35
6
Drug Courts Reduce Crime by as Much 50 Compared
to Other Dispositions
7
Impact on Recidivism

• Nationwide, 75 of Drug Court graduates remain
  arrest-free at least two years after leaving the
  program.
• Rigorous studies examining long-term outcomes of
  individual Drug Courts have found that reductions
  in crime endure for over 14 years.

8

Drug Courts Increase Employment and School
Enrollment
9
Drug Courts Reunite Families
10
Drug Courts Save Money
11
Drug Courts Are Cheaper and Produce Superior
Returns on the Investment

• Drug courts return an average of 2.21 to the
  justice system for every one dollar invested and
  up to 27 in community impacts for every dollar
  invested

12
Key Moments in NADCP History
Why Standards??

• Put null findings in context (8 - 16)
• Disown harmful programs (6 - 9)
• Prevent regression to old habits (model drift)
• Protect brand name from incursions
• Define standard of care for ourselves
• Limit appellate review to conformance with
  standards rather than creating standards
• Congressional committees, agencies, etc.

13
Key Moments in NADCP History
Why Standards? (cont.)

• Reduce legal constitutional errors
• Procedural due process requires standards,
  rational basis, and notice of rights being waived
• Reduce disparate impacts (violations of Equal
  Protection)
• Provide support and political cover for needed
  services and expenditures
• Demonstrate maturity of our profession
• Because we care about getting it right!

14
Key Moments in NADCP History
Procedures

• Expert Drafting Committee with diverse
  stakeholder representation (N 27)
• Rigorous peer review process (N gt 50)
• Clarity (what is required)
• Justification (why it is required)
• Feasibility (difficulty of implementing)

15
Key Moments in NADCP History
Standards of Proof

• Research Quality
• Experimental / controlled
• Quasi-experimental or matched-comparison
• Observational (systematically collected)
• Attitudinal (systematically collected)
• Intent-to-treat analyses
• Program Setting
• Drug Court
• Other Problem-solving Court
• Other program for drug-involved offenders
  (e.g., community correctional centers,
  Prop. 36)
• Other criminal justice or substance abuse
  treatment program

16
Key Moments in NADCP History
Standards of Proof (cont.)

• Reliability of the findings
• Multi-site studies and meta-analyses
• Replication
• Large sample sizes
• Diverse settings (e.g., rural)
• Contrary evidence

17
Key Moments in NADCP History
Drafting Principles

• No surprises or curve balls
• Minimize ambiguity and hedging (a best practice
  is what a best practice is)
• Measurable and enforceable
• Conditional escape clauses
• e.g., alternative tracks or credit for
  inadequate services
• No enforcement mechanism

18
Key Moments in NADCP History
Structure

• General Principle
• Specific provision (measurable)
• Specific provision (measurable)
• --------------------------------------------------
  -----
• Commentary / justification
• --------------------------------------------------
  -----
• References

19
Key Moments in NADCP History
Volume I

• Target Population (all else follows from
  this)
• Historically Disadvantaged Groups
• Roles Responsibilities of the Judge
• Incentives, Sanctions, Therapeutic Adjustments
• Substance Abuse Treatment

20
Key Moments in NADCP History
Target Population

• N 32 reviewers

high
4.55
4.38
3.93
low
21
Key Moments in NADCP History
Target Population

• Eligibility exclusion criteria are based on
  empirical evidence
• Assessment process is evidence-based
• Objective eligibility criteria
• High-risk high-need participants
• Validated eligibility assessments
• Criminal history disqualifications
• Barring legal prohibitions . . .
• Clinical disqualifications
• If adequate treatment is available . . .

22
Key Moments in NADCP History
Hx Disadvantaged Groups

• N 30 reviewers

high
4.50
4.40
4.13
low
23
Key Moments in NADCP History
Hx Disadvantaged Groups

• Equivalent opportunities to participate and
  succeed in Drug Court
• Equivalent access (intent impact)
• Equivalent retention
• Equivalent treatment
• Equivalent incentives sanctions
• Equivalent legal dispositions
• Team training (remedial measures)

24
Key Moments in NADCP History
Roles of the Judge

• N 28 reviewers

high
4.68
4.64
4.46
low
25
Key Moments in NADCP History
Roles of the Judge

• Contemporary knowledge active engagement
  professional demeanor leader among equals
• Professional training
• Length of term
• Consistent docket
• Pre-court staff meetings
• Frequency of status hearings
• Length of court interactions
• Judicial demeanor
• Judicial decision-making

26
Key Moments in NADCP History
Incentives Sanctions

• N 25 reviewers

high
4.28
4.32
4.20
low
27
Key Moments in NADCP History
Incentives Sanctions

• Predictable, consistent, fair, and
  evidence-based
• Advance notice
• Opportunity to be heard
• Equivalent consequences
• Professional demeanor
• Progressive sanctions
• Licit substances
• Therapeutic adjustments
• Incentivizing productivity

28
Key Moments in NADCP History
Incentives Sanctions (cont.)

• Predictable, consistent, fair, and
  evidence-based
• . . .
• Phase promotion
• Jail sanctions
• Termination
• Consequences of graduation and termination
  (leverage)

29
Key Moments in NADCP History
Substance Abuse Treatment

• N 30 reviewers

high
4.27
4.20
3.83
low
30
Key Moments in NADCP History
Substance Abuse Treatment

• Based on treatment needs and evidence-based
• Continuum of care
• if adequate care is unavailable . . .
• In-custody treatment
• Team representation
• Treatment dosage and duration
• Treatment modalities
• Evidence-based treatments
• Medications

31
Key Moments in NADCP History
Substance Abuse Tx (cont.)

• Based on treatment needs and evidence-based
• . . .
• Provider training and credentials
• Peer support groups
• Continuing care

32
Key Moments in NADCP History

• Adult Drug Court
• Best Practice Standards
• Volume I
• National Association of
• Drug Court Professionals

Aspirational
Enforceable