This article provides an overview of the functions of a theoretical research program and identifies three interrelated ideas of inquiry, including evidence-based credentialing, medication-assisted treatment, and inclusive evaluation.
This article addresses the needed program evaluation, required by funding conditions, of recovery initiatives which are administered through various treatment courts; it provides a commentary suggesting how current and emergent treatment court issues can benefit from a national or Theoretical Research Program (TRP). The article discusses the functions of a theoretical research program in justice contexts, identifies interrelated ideas of inquiry which include evidence-based credentialing, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and inclusive evaluation, to anchor a research program for substance-abuse-focused treatment courts. The article recommends a national research agenda to synthesize independent efforts across various treatment court issues and stakeholders and considers the usefulness of a TRP, noting some of its applications in other criminal justice areas.