NCJ Number
209077
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 321-342
Date Published
2005
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined the possibility of the drug court model varying substantially from its traditional form (in metropolitan areas) in more rural settings.
Abstract
Research shows that drug courts are effective in reducing drug use and criminal behavior giving cause for the expansion of the drug court model. However, with the overall levels of drug use in rural areas beginning to approach those seen predominantly in urban areas and with accessibility and availability of treatment services varying by geographic setting, it is reasonable to expect that the implementation of the drug-court model may vary in rural areas from the traditional form seen in metropolitan or urban areas. This study examined two drug courts located in rural areas and two in urban settings. In all four, the court was in operation for as long as 10 years and designated as “mentor courts.” The characteristics of the clients involved in the treatment programs affiliated with each court, as well as the implementation of treatment services provided by each treatment program was examined. In regards to overall client characteristics, the data indicate that rural clients are more likely to be White and urban clients are more likely to be Hispanic or African-American. Generally, treatment programs in rural areas had smaller program budgets, and were less likely to offer a wide array of services within their agency. Characteristics of the treatment services show that rural programs schedule longer group treatment meetings, but typically deliver smaller percentages of the intended treatment durations. In summary, while rural courts may face difficulties in terms of accessing sufficient amounts of treatment resources, drug courts in both rural and urban settings may face challenges in accessing high quality services for their participants. Tables and references