Secondary Prevention Services for Clients Who Are Low Risk in Drug Court: A Conceptual Model

• NCJ Number: 232301
• Journal: Crime & Delinquency Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 114-134
• Author(s): David S. DeMatteo; Douglas B. Marlowe; David S. Festinger
• Date Published: January 2006
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01-DA-13096; R01-DA-14566
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents a framework by which drug courts can develop and administer secondary prevention services for drug court participants.

Abstract

The drug court model assumes that most drug offenders are addicts, and that drug use fuels other criminal activity. As a result, drug court clients must satisfy an intensive regimen of treatment and supervisory obligations. However, research suggests that roughly one third of drug court clients do not have a clinically significant substance use disorder. For these clients, standard drug court services may be ineffective or even contraindicated. Instead, these clients may be best suited for a secondary prevention approach directed at interrupting the acquisition of addictive behaviors. Unfortunately, there are no established secondary prevention packages for adults in criminal justice settings. This article presents a conceptual framework for developing and administering secondary prevention services in drug courts and proposes a platform of prevention techniques that can be tailored in a clinically relevant manner for the sizeable population of drug court clients who are low risk. Figure and references (Published Abstract)