A Comparison of Participants in Two Community-Based Programs: Assisted Outpatient Treatment and a Mental Health Court [2018]
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
A Comparison of Participants in Two Community-Based Programs: Assisted Outpatient Treatment and a Mental Health Court [2018]
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
A National Study of Veterans Treatment Court Participants: Who Benefits and Who Recidivates –
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
A Qualitative Analysis of Family Dynamics and Motivation in Sessions With 15 Women in Drug Treatment Court [2019]
Women with substance use disorders (SUDs) often experience inadequate health care, mental and physical health problems, trauma, lack of social support, and undermining of support for psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needed for motivation and well-being. For women
Accessing drug treatment courts do age, race or gender matter? – 2018-02
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
Accessing drug treatment courts do age, race or gender matter? [2018]
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
Beyond the “Revolving Door?”: Incentives and Criminal Recidivism in a Mental Health Court [2017]
Specialized mental health courts (MHCs) address the growing problem of defendants with mental illness cycling through the criminal justice system. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this article explores if MHCs can slow the “revolving door” of criminal justice involvement. We use
Collaboration: A Mechanism of Drug Court Model Adherence [2019]
Drug courts solve problems, namely, reducing drug use and recidivism. The current research attempts to answer the question of how to ensure program fidelity and therefore optimize the efficacy of drug courts. Justice professionals and scholars have recognized that there
Correlates of Mental Health Diversion Completion in a Canadian Consortium – 2018
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
Correlates of Mental Health Diversion Completion in a Canadian Consortium – 2018-01-15
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
Court-Ordered Evaluations From a Mental Health Court – 2018
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
Courting the community: Organizational flexibility and community courts – 2018
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
Effectiveness of Mental Health Courts in Reducing Recidivism: A Meta-Analysis
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
Evaluation of Treatment and Other Factors That Lead to Drug Court Success, Substance Use Reduction, and Mental Health Symptomatology Reduction Over Time [2018]
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
Evaluation of Treatment and Other Factors That Lead to Drug Court Success, Substance Use Reduction, and Mental Health Symptomatology Reduction Over Time [2018]
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
Examining Factors Associated With Program Completion Among Women Participants in a Statewide Drug Court Program – 2018
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
Examining Individual Characteristics and Program Performance to Understand Two-Year Recidivism Rates Among Drug Court Participants: Comparing Graduates and Terminators [2018]
Drug courts strive to break the cycle of substance use and crime by providing community-based treatment and rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study was to (a) identify significantly different factors between program participants (i.e., graduates/terminators) that may affect recidivism
Examining Individual Characteristics and Program Performance to Understand Two-Year Recidivism Rates Among Drug Court Participants: Comparing Graduates and Terminators [2018]
Drug courts strive to break the cycle of substance use and crime by providing community-based treatment and rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study was to (a) identify significantly different factors between program participants (i.e., graduates/terminators) that may affect recidivism
Examining the impact of a gender-specific drug court on recidivism – 2016
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
Examining the Impact of Prior Criminal Justice History on 2-Year Recidivism Rates: A Comparison of Drug Court Participants and Program Referrals – 2016-04-28
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
Examining the use of visual performance feedback in drug treatment court – 2018-02
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
Exploring the Relationship Between Dual Diagnosis and Recidivism in Drug Court Participants – 2017
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
Exploring the Relationship Between Dual Diagnosis and Recidivism in Drug Court Participants [2018]
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
Identifying Predictors of Substance Use and Recidivism Outcome Trajectories Among Drug Treatment Court Clients [2017]
Drug treatment court (DTC) is a diversion program for individuals with drug-related crimes. However, the DTC literature is conflicting with regard to substance use and recidivism outcomes. This study examines factors associated with improved client outcome trajectories among a multisite,
Implementing Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts: A Meta-aggregation of Process Evaluations [2019]
Juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTCs) continue to be popular. However, results of a recent meta-analysis raised doubts regarding their effectiveness over traditional juvenile justice system processing. The objective of this study was to systematically review the qualitative and quantitative evidence
Improving the quality of drug court clinical screening: a call for performance measurement policy reform [2018]
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
Innovations in Mental Health Diversion – Life Skills Groups for Mental Health and Justice Clients – 2015-11-18
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
Integrating injectable opioid agonist treatment into a drug treatment court program: A case study [2018]
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
Integrating injectable opioid agonist treatment into a Drug Treatment Court program: A case study [2018]
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
Investigating the Impact of Child Maltreatment Histories on Drug Court Outcomes – 2018
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
Investigating the Impact of Child Maltreatment Histories on Drug Court Outcomes [2018]
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
Legitimation in action: an examination of community courts and procedural justice [2018]
We are at a critical moment in criminal justice reform as public distrust grows and threatens the legitimacy of the justice system. This is especially true for poor communities of color who have lower levels of trust because they have
Mental Health Courts – Finding Institutional Resilience and Promoting Justice – Keynote – Heather Perkins-McVey – 2015-11
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
Mental Health Courts in Ontario
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
Outcome Effects on Recidivism Among Drug Court Participants [2018]
Drug courts were established to reduce recidivism rates for substance-involved offenders who traditionally would have been sentenced to conventional probation supervision. Past research has reported success in this area, but much of the success is limited to those who graduate
Outcome Effects on Recidivism Among Drug Court Participants [2018]
Drug courts were established to reduce recidivism rates for substance-involved offenders who traditionally would have been sentenced to conventional probation supervision. Past research has reported success in this area, but much of the success is limited to those who graduate
Participants’ views on the strengths and limitations of drug court: Recommendations to enhance assessment and treatment of mental illnesses – 2018
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
Participants’ views on the strengths and limitations of drug court: Recommendations to enhance assessment and treatment of mental illnesses – 2018
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
Pausing in the wake of rapid adoption: A call to critically examine the veterans treatment court concept [2019]
Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) are currently the fastest growing specialized court in the United States. In the wake of this rapid dissemination, the field has begun to empirically research VTCs but has acknowledged that little is known about them. While
Prison sentences: last resort or the default sanction? [2018]
This paper discusses the sentencing purposes for penal penalties, judges’ perceptions of sentencing purposes and prison sentences, and the effects of penal sanctions. We examine judges’ positions towards different penalties, with a focus on imprisonment, since their views on the
Region of Waterloo Drug Treatment Court
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
Rituals and spaces in innovative courts [2018]
Innovative justice forums form a small but important part of the justice landscape in Australia and elsewhere. These include many civil and protective tribunals, local dispute centres, special purpose courts like drug or Indigenous courts, restorative justice conferences and –
Sentencing Drug Court Failures: Judicial Considerations With Increased Offender Information [2018]
This study explores the influential predictors of sentence severity within a sample of drug court failures. This sample is unique, in that, judges possess greater amounts of offender information at the time of sentencing, relative to conventional adjudications. Due to
Severity of cognitive disability and mental health court determinations about fitness to stand trial – 2018
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
Substance use, victimization, HIV/AIDS risk, and recidivism among females in a therapeutic justice program – 2018-02
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
The Effectiveness of a Mental Health Court in Reducing Recidivism in Individuals with Severe Mental Illness and Comorbid Substance Use Disorder [2018]
The current study examined the efficacy of a specialized mental health court in reducing recidivism for severely mentally ill defendants with comorbid substance use disorders. There is a wealth of research supporting the efficacy of mental health courts in reducing
The Impact of Dual Diagnosis on Drug Court Failure [2018]
There is limited research investigating the relationship between dual diagnosis and drug court outcomes. The current study examines the relationship between dual diagnosis and drug court failure by specific failure type. Utilizing data from a large urban drug court in
The role of drug courts in promoting desistance and recovery: a merging of therapy and accountability [2019]
Criminal behavior and substance abuse are closely connected and many offenders have substance use disorders and related problems. Reducing drug-related crime in this population requires attention to the determinants and processes of both recovery from substance use disorders and desistance
Today was not a good day: offender accounts of the incidents that led to their admission to drug court [2018]
One method that has been touted to help end mass incarceration is using intermediate sanctions. While intermediate sanctions often present as attractive options, there is evidence that as practiced, these sanctions often result in net widening. One of the most
Treatment Modality, Failure, and Re-Arrest: A Test of the Risk Principle With Substance-Abusing Criminal Defendants [2016]
Demographic, criminal history, instant case, treatment modality, program failure, and re-arrest data were collected from 400 New York City drug court participants. Actuarial risk scores were created for program failure and re-arrest by performing stepwise logistic regressions based on criminal