WASHINGTON, D.C., November 19, 2004—Since 1994, federal and state governments have invested more than a billion dollars in drug courts, specialized programs that supervise substance-abuse treatment for certain nonviolent offenders. The courts give offenders an opportunity to change their behavior and stop using illegal drugs before becoming enmeshed in the legal and penal systems.
Starting in the mid-1990s, state and local jurisdictions began to establish juvenile drug courts, and by November 2003 there were 294 such courts in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Plans for another 112 are afoot. Yet, without more program evaluation data, whether adult drug courts work—particularly to reduce crime and drug abuse—or can be duplicated with juveniles is unclear.
"The typical youth referred to a juvenile drug court is 15 or 16 years old and has been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana for a few years at most. Teenagers are not likely to respond well to a program designed to intervene in an adult-style downward spiral of addiction and dependence," observe Jeffrey A. Butts and John Roman, editors of the new Urban Institute Press book, Juvenile Drug Courts and Teen Substance Abuse. "Drug-involved youth usually need improved relationships, exciting recreational opportunities, job preparation, and perhaps family counseling to support them in making positive choices."
Juvenile Drug Courts and Teen Substance Abuse, which will be released on November 23, encourages practitioners and policymakers to think carefully about the role that drug courts can or should play in the juvenile justice system. Its authors provide background and guidance for evaluation researchers trying to begin filling the evidence gap about the effectiveness of juvenile drug courts.
Resisting the "more research is needed" mantra, the authors prescribe quality over quantity and lay out a new framework to unify future research. Further, as an adjunct to intensive evaluations that can take four years or longer to complete, Roman and Butts recommend an accreditation process that could provide a faster way for drug courts to make the case to legislators, policymakers, and constituents that they are adhering to recognized best practices.
Juvenile Drug Courts and Teen Substance Abuse's eight chapters highlight the key factors in the effectiveness of drug courts for juveniles and encourage evaluation researchers to test their hypotheses with those factors in mind.
Chapter 1, by Jeffrey A. Butts and John Roman, introduces the key concepts behind drug courts and describes the emergence of juvenile drug courts.
Chapter 2, by Roman, Butts, and Alison S. Rebeck, explores the proliferation of drug courts during the 1990s.
Chapter 3, by Shelli Balter Rossman, Butts, Roman, Christine DeStefano, and Ruth White, reviews the practices and policies of juvenile drug courts in six cities (Charleston, South Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; Jersey City, New Jersey; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Missoula, Montana; and Orlando, Florida).
Chapter 4, by Roman and DeStefano, examines the results of drug court evaluations and the limitations of available research for linking drug court procedures with participant outcomes.
Chapter 5, by Butts, Janine M. Zweig, and Cynthia Mamalian, analyzes policy issues related to the uses and possible misuses of juvenile drug courts.
Chapter 6, by Daniel P. Mears, reviews the diagnostic instruments used by practitioners to decide when juveniles have drug and alcohol problems that require treatment.
Chapter 7, by Butts, Roman, Rossman, and Adele V. Harrell, presents a new framework for evaluating juvenile drug courts.
Chapter 8, by Roman and Butts, considers the significance of juvenile drug court research for future policy and practice and proposes ways to advance the quality and applicability of research evidence.
An appendix provides a comprehensive bibliography of drug court evaluation literature.
Juvenile Drug Courts and Teen Substance Abuse, edited by Jeffrey A. Butts and John Roman, is available in paperback from the Urban Institute Press (6" x 9", 283 pages, ISBN 0-87766-725-X, $29.50). Order online at www.uipress.org or call 202-261-5687 or toll-free 1-877-847-7377.
The Urban Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research and educational organization that examines the social, economic, and governance challenges facing the nation.
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