This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of the Jackson Community Family Court (CFC) in Oregon, which processes cases that involve parents with admitted substance abuse whose children are wards of the court.
The results of the CFC outcome analysis show that the CFC-program parents had significantly more positive outcomes than parents who were processed by the county's traditional family court. According to statewide data, significantly more CFC parents enrolled in treatment in the year after the petition date than non-CFC parents. In addition, in the year after drug court entry, the CFC program parents spent nearly twice as long in treatment than non-CFC parents. Further, significantly more CFC program parents successfully completed treatment after program entry compared to non-CFC parents. The outcome evaluation also indicated that children of CFC parents spent significantly less time in foster care in the 4 years after drug-court entry than children of non-CFC parents. Another positive finding was that children whose parents participated in the CFC were returned to the home significantly sooner than children of non-CFC parents. Regarding recidivism, CFC parents were less likely to be rearrested in the first year after case processing began, and this pattern continued for 4 years after drug court entry, with the pattern of differences continuing and widening for each year. The CFC produced a cost savings of $5,593 over 4 years, with a projected 106-percent return on the investment after 5 years. Methods and results are also presented from the program's process evaluation, which focused on the program's policies and procedures in terms of whether the program is meeting its goals and objectives. Overall, the CFC has successfully implemented its drug court program within the guidelines of the 10 key components of drug courts. 12 tables, 9 figures, 25 references, and appended list of possible program responses, including rewards and sanctions