Painting the Current Picture: A National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem-Solving Court Programs in the United States

• NCJ Number: 223694
• Author(s): C. West Huddleston III; Douglas B. Marlowe J.D., PH.D.; Rachel Casebolt
• Date Published: May 2008
• Length: 38 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2007-DC-BX-K001
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Corporate Author: National Drug Court Institute
• Sale Source: National Drug Court Institute
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NDCI Report Volume II, No. 1, May 2008

Annotation

This report prepared by the National Drug Court Institute provides an update of drug court and other problem-solving court activity in every State, territory, and district in the United States since the release of the inaugural issue.

Abstract

Highlights of the report include: (1) as of December 31, 2007, there were 2,147 drug courts in operation, a 32 percent increase from 2004; (2) Hybrid DWI/Drug Courts represented the largest increase of variation in adult drug courts from 2004 to 2007, up 233 percent; (3) more than 19,900 participants graduated from drug court in 2005; (4) cocaine/crack is the primary drug of choice for urban drug court clients; (5) during 2005, a total of 844 drug-free babies were born to active female drug court clients; (6) in all, 74 percent of States and territories in the United States now report authorizing drug court legislation; and (7) adding the total number of operational drug courts and other problem-solving courts, there were 3,204 problem-solving courts in the United States as of 2007. In addition to reporting the type and aggregate number of operational drug courts and other problem-solving court programs throughout the United States, a section is dedicated to major drug court research literature since the release of the first volume, as well as State-specific drug court legislation and the amount of each State’s appropriation supporting such court programs. Key information is reported on current drug court models, populations, and participant drug-of-choice trends, as well as the number of confirmed drug-free babies born to active female drug court participants since 2005. Lastly, the report offers a client success story from a drug court that is effectively managing methamphetamine-addicted participants. Volume II of a National Report Card on Drug Courts and Other Problem-Solving Court Programs in the United States provides summary results from the 2005 National Survey on Drug Courts conducted by the National Drug Court Institute. Aggregate numbers of drug courts and other problem-solving courts come from a follow-up survey conducted by the National Drug Court Institute in 2007. Figures, tables and references