ABSTRACT
Drug courts are designed to prevent future criminal activities (recidivism), substance use (relapse), and other relevant health and lifestyle outcomes for those who participate in the program compared to those who do not. These findings are based on the Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation funded by the National Institute of Justice and the Drug Court Program Office. Conducted by the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center, RTI International (RTI), and the Center for Court Innovation (CCI), this multi-year process, impact, and cost-benefit evaluation examined the impact of drug courts, as well as for whom and how drug courts work. Drug court impacts were similar across subgroups of those involved in the criminal justice system, with people with greater levels of substance use and those with violent histories experiencing the greatest reductions in recidivism. The mechanisms that drove drug court outcomes centered on the role of the judge, participant attitudes, and particular court policies and practices
