2002 Drug Court Survey Report: Program Operations, Services and Participant Perspectives. Executive Summary

Abstract

[enter AbsThe 2002 Drug Court Survey Report consists of eight parts, reflecting responses from the principal agencies involved in drug court program operations: (1) general program information provided by the court; (2) a special section for DUI/DWI drug court programs completed by the DUI drug court judge or his/her designee; (3) prosecution office perspectives; (4) defense counsel perspectives; (5) law enforcement agency perspectives; (6) corrections agency perspectives; (7) treatment provider perspectives; and (8) the perspectives of over 800 participants in the final phase of program participation. In addition, the Executive Summary provides a synopsis of the major findings presented in these sections, representing responses from 171 programs in operation for over one year. In addition to current operational issues, the survey report documents the substantial growth of drug courts (now operating in every state) since the earlier 1997survey, particularly marked for juvenile and family drug courts, and Native American Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts.currently operating in39 tribal courts, located in 14 states, with additional programs being planned in 54 additional tribal courts, Findings include: *Increasing focus on targeting and serving more severely addicted defendants and defendants who have had more extensive prior contact with the justice system; conversely, very few programs focus on the first offender. • A small percentage of programs permit participants on methadone maintenance to graduate, although the prevailing philosophy of most drug courts is to require total abstinence. • The percentage of assessed drug court fees collected by drug court programs has increased from 67% in 1997 to 75% in 2002. The total fees collected by the 45 programs which reported this information was almost $3,000,000. • The percentage of judicial time allocated by drug court judges to drug court hearings and related matters in the reporting programs is approximately 30% -- an increase from 10% -20% reported in 1997. • The percentage of programs that are solely pretrial/preplea is decreasing; conversely, the percentage of programs that are post-plea (with plea stricken upon successful completion), probation-oriented and/or for probation violators is increasing. This shift is consistent with the more heavily justice system involved offenders that many programs are targeting. Many programs are using a combination of these approaches. • Responsibility for initial substance abuse screening appears to be shifting from the court to treatment providers. • The percentage of drug courts that work regularly with an oversight committee of community representatives has decreased from 73% in 1997 to 53% in 2002, but renewed interest in working with such committees is being expressed in a number of jurisdictions. • While drug court activity continues to develop in large metropolitan areas, drug court activity is increasingly underway in jurisdictions with smaller (e.g., under 250,000) populations and in rural settings.