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Title: Painting the Current Picture A National Report on Treatment Courts in the United States

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2022

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Abstract: The 2019 issue of the Painting the Current Picture: A National Report on Treatment Courts in the United States (hereafter referred to as PCP) represents the sixth time an in-depth analysis of treatment court programs across the United States has been conducted. The current version was conducted by the National Drug Court Resource Center (NDCRC), located at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). All previous iterations of this survey (2004, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2016) were conducted by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). The monograph has continued the long-standing tradition of providing a detailed snapshot of the treatment court field within the United States. Especially noteworthy is that these data provide the authors with the ability to monitor trends and to highlight similarities and differences in the findings obtained over time. The monograph also provides a synopsis of the most recent scholarly literature on treatment courts. Summaries of the extant literature for each treatment court type include a brief overview of the history and structure, best practice standards, guiding principles, effectiveness and cost-benefit findings, and directions for future research. New to the 2019 PCP monograph is an organization of information by treatment court type. While aggregate data regarding all treatment court programs is provided, several interesting trends are revealed when examining data by program type and age group served. Similar to the 2014 PCP, there are important lessons for the field to consider and on which action should be taken. These lessons include: First, the type and quality of data being gathered regarding treatment courts varies greatly across states/ territories. Data availability and quality have great implications for the type of research questions we can answer about treatment courts, our ability to monitor trends over time, and to obtain an accurate picture of what is happening in the field. Second, racial/ethnic disparities in both enrollment in and graduation from treatment courts continues to be an issue within the treatment court field. This finding was highlighted in the 2014 PCP monograph. In 2019, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and National Center for State Courts published the Equity & Inclusion: Equivalent Access Assessment & Toolkit, with support from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In the same year, American University, with BJA funding, launched the Racial & Ethnic Disparities (RED) Assessment Tool. Both of these tools are designed to assist jurisdictions with identifying and addressing disparities. Third, for the past 10-15 years much attention and resources have been paid to the opioid epidemic and how treatment courts are well-positioned to address the needs of high-risk/high-need individuals with an opioid use disorder. However, what has received less attention is the fact that in some regions/jurisdictions, stimulant use has been and continues to be the prevalent drug of use among individuals. A small body of research has demonstrated that treatment courts are effective in addressing the needs of this population of individuals as well (Farrell et al 2019; Jones et al 2019; Lanier & DeVall, 2017). These issues represent opportunities for the field to continue the legacy of using data to make informed decisions in order to advance the mission of treatment courts. These issues are not insurmountable. With a commitment to excellence in mind and the necessary resources, improvements can be made. Strategies are currently being implemented to address these areas for needed enhancements.

Url: https://ndcrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PCP_2022_HighlightsInsights_DigitalRelease.pdf

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Authors: DeVall, Kristen; Lanier, Christina; Baker, Lindsay J.

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Crime and Deviance, Health

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