Therapeutic Courts

Objective: Mental health courts and assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) are tools to help people with serious mental illness engage in treatment and avoid or reduce institutionalization. As both programs become increasingly prevalent, questions remain about whether people with severe mental illness who receive AOT have the same characteristics, histories, and

Although there are now over 400 veterans treatment courts (VTCs) in the country, there have been few studies on participant outcomes in functional domains. Using national data on 7931 veterans in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Justice Outreach program across 115 VA sites who entered a VTC from 2011 to

To ensure equitable access to diversion from custody, Canadian drug treatment courts should accept referrals whose age, gender, and Indigenous race proportions are similar to probation or custody admissions. Of particular concern are Indigenous offenders, who are over-represented in Canada’s community and institutional corrections systems. To examine the influence of

Mental health diversion is an important option for offenders with mental illness who do not pose a serious risk to public safety and who would otherwise be better served outside the criminal justice system. Predictors of complete vs. incomplete diversion were examined in a sample of 708 defendants seen in

Mental health diversion is an important option for offenders with mental illness who do not pose a serious risk to public safety and who would otherwise be better served outside the criminal justice system. Predictors of complete vs. incomplete diversion were examined in a sample of 708 defendants seen in

Mental health courts (MHCs) have been in existence for more than 20 years, but little is known about the demographics, clinical features, and court outcomes of MHC defendants court-ordered for competence to stand trial (CST) evaluations. We examined these items in defendants who underwent CST evaluations for the Marion County,

This article examines how a community court in the United States framed its mission to a diverse population of stakeholders. Drawing from 11 months of ethnographic data, I show how community courts’ embrace of both punitive and therapeutic goals help the courts appeal to a variety of audiences. I argue

Objective: Mental health courts (MHCs) were developed to address the overrepresentation of adults with mental illnesses in the U.S. criminal justice system through diversion into community-based treatment. Research on MHCs has proliferated in recent years, and there is a need to synthesize contemporary literature on MHC effectiveness. The authors conducted

Adults presenting with substance use and mental health disorders in the criminal justice system is well documented. While studies have examined drug courts and medication-assisted treatment (MAT), few have examined social and behavioral health indicators, and even fewer have multiple study periods. This study employed a comprehensive approach to studying

The study purpose was to examine factors affecting women in completing drug court. Participants were 212 women drug court participants selected via stratified random sampling (by county) from the larger Kentucky Drug Court participant population. Various secondary data sources were used (e.g., participant assessment, Management Information System), and multivariate logistic

Research into the effects of drug courts on recidivism has generally demonstrated positive results. These results have led to the expansion of the drug court model which focuses on causes or problems for specific populations, such as drunk drivers, mental health/dual diagnosis individuals, veterans, and others. While research has examined

Drug courts seek to break the cycle of substance use and crime by providing a community-based intervention to individuals with criminal justice involvement and substance-related issues. This study examined recidivism over a 2-year follow-up period as well as factors associated with recidivism for a sample of drug court participants (i.e.,

A key component of drug courts is regular status hearings in which the judge reviews client progress and imposes sanctions or rewards for infractions or achievements; however, little is known about whether drug court clients fully understand the reasons for judicial responses and make clear connections between their behavior and

There is limited research investigating the relationship between dual diagnosis and offender outcomes in drug court settings, specifically regarding recidivism. The current study examined the effects of dual diagnosis on recidivism following participation in one drug court in the Southwestern United States. Results provided mixed evidence surrounding the impact of

Despite the widespread use of the drug court model, standardized performance measures for drug courts are not uniformly utilized, and rarely include process measures. To ensure that drug courts are being implemented in the most effective manner, the use of performance measurement tools should be considered for wide scale adoption.

This workshop will introduce a new Life Skills Group offered by the Fred Victor Mental Health Court Support Program, created in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. The rationale for this innovation in Mental Health Diversion programming will be provided; initial observations and results will be discussed and

Background: A substantial proportion of individuals involved with the North American criminal justice system are convicted for drug-related activities. Drug treatment court (DTC) programs were developed as an alternative to incarceration for drug-related offences and aim to prioritize addiction treatment and improve health and social outcomes; however, only a fraction

Although child maltreatment, mental illness, and substance abuse are significantly correlated, only the relationship between mental illness and substance abuse has been documented as potentially affecting the implementation of criminal justice policy. The current study considers the influence of child maltreatment histories in addition to mental health and substance abuse

Specialized Courts have been a fixture of the criminal justice system for almost 20 years. In the same way that personal resilience is important to one’s well being so is institutional resilience to ensure that a program is responsive to changing circumstances and evidence. This presentation will provide an overview of a growing

Mental health courts in Ontario are not specifically regulated in their operation. There is no existing ministerial mandate to determine where they should exist, and how they should operate. They have therefore been operating on an ad hoc basis. With increasing attention from many government bodies on the importance of

Since 1989, drug courts have provided an alternative to incarceration for arrestees who have a substance use disorder. Previous research has suggested that participants who graduate from the program are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. The majority of research on drug courts is

Since 1989, drug courts have provided an alternative to incarceration for arrestees who have a substance use disorder. Previous research has suggested that participants who graduate from the program are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. The majority of research on drug courts is

This webinar will provide an overview of the Waterloo Region Drug Treatment Court. Drug Treatment Courts were established to break the link between criminal behavior and crime and in so doing, save the lives of the persons caught in the cycle of drug addiction and crime. These courts represent the

Background Little is known about the socio-demographic, clinical and legal determinants of mental health court decisions of unsoundness of mind and unfitness to stand trial for people with cognitive disability. We aimed to estimate the association between severity of cognitive disability and mental health court determinations of unsoundness or unfitness

This analysis examines the association between crack/cocaine use only and the SAVA syndemic (any substance use, being exposed to violence, having HIV/AIDS risk behaviors) at baseline and any felony, misdemeanor, or municipal violations by an 8-month follow-up. Data comes from 317 women recruited from a Municipal Drug Court System in