Juvenile Drug Court Model in Southern Arizona: Substance Abuse, Delinquency, and Sexual Risk Outcomes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

• NCJ Number: 227877
• Journal: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 48 Issue: 5 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 416-438
• Author(s): Bridget S. Ruiz; Sally J. Stevens; Janet Fuhriman; Janet G. Bogart; Josephine D. Korchmaros
• Date Published: July 2009
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 270-97-7011
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

After describing a juvenile drug court in Southern Arizona, this study reports on treatment outcomes by gender and race/ethnicity.

Abstract

The most significant finding of this study is that regardless of gender and race/ethnicity, positive changes occurred over time among participating youth in substance-related issues, crime and justice involvement, and risky sexual behaviors. Similar to other studies, boys had higher rates of illegal activities compared to girls; however, parallel to the substance-related variables, the boys and girls were more alike regarding the general and drug crimes, as well as days on probation. This is not too surprising, since all of the youth qualified for participation in the drug court. Future research might focus on how youth are identified and selected to participate in treatment, and randomized trials across multiple juvenile drug courts are important in determining the process elements that contribute to a juvenile drug courts success. At the time data reported in this article were collected, the Southern Arizona Juvenile Drug court was a collaboration between the Pima County Juvenile Court, Arizona's Children Association, and the University of Arizona's Southwest Institute for Research on Women. The purpose of the drug court was to provide adjudicated adolescents and their families a treatment alternative to incarceration, with the goal of preventing drugs/alcohol relapse and committing new offenses. The court provided initial screening of youth and subsequent referrals to treatment as appropriate, intensive judicial contact, urinalysis testing for substance use, weekly court hearings, community service opportunities, and school interventions/contacts. Intensive outpatient treatment used evidence-based models within a continuum of treatment services. Youth who were determined to be a danger to themselves or others, those with psychosis, and those with an inability to read at or above the fifth-grade level were excluded from court participation. 3 tables and 34 references