Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts

Abstract

Drug courts provide judicially supervised substance abuse treatment and other needed services in lieu of prosecution or incarceration. Two decades of research confirms that adult drug courts reduce crime and substance abuse, improve family relationships, and return average net cost savings that are two to three times the initial investment. The optimal target population for adult drug courts has been identified and fidelity to key components of the model has been demonstrated to be necessary for favorable outcomes. Less can be confidently concluded about juvenile drug courts, but recent studies suggest the programs are becoming more effective with increasing experience. Future directions are considered for bringing this blended public health/public safety model to scale.