ABSTRACT
The chapter discusses the origins, history, and evidence surrounding drug courts in the United States and other nations, as a response to the War on Drugs’ contributions to the problem of mass incarceration. Traditional adult drug courts are compared to family and juvenile drug court models. Key components and empirical outcomes, such as program completion and criminal recidivism, are discussed. An extensive literature underscoring the lack of effectiveness of juvenile drug courts is highlighted. Racial disparities in program access and outcomes are discussed as challenges facing drug courts, along with the need to implement treatments specifically targeted to opioid dependence (i.e. medication-assisted treatment). Points of intersection between social work and drug courts are highlighted, including their conceptual framework (therapeutic jurisprudence) and the key roles that social workers may play as members of a drug court team. The authors leave open the question regarding how the transformation in social attitudes toward substance misuse—gravitating toward public health and away from criminal justice—will transform drug courts in the future.
