NCJ Number
228134
Date Published
August 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This report examined substance abuse treatment admissions referred by the criminal justice system using the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS).
Abstract
Individuals may be referred to substance abuse treatment through the criminal justice system either as part of a diversionary program before formal adjudication or as part of a formal sentencing program. Results show that in 2007, criminal justice system referral admissions were more likely than all other referral admissions to be employed either full or part-time and less likely to not be in the labor force; criminal justice system referral admissions were less likely than all other referral admissions to drop out of treatment; and the fastest growth in criminal justice system referrals were among admissions younger than 18 and admissions for primary marijuana and primary methamphetamine abuse. Treatment providers whose admissions derive from the criminal justice system need to understand the ancillary needs of these admissions and ensure that their programs are prepared to offer appropriate assistance. Similarly, both public policymakers and funders need to ensure that as the proportion of such referrals grows, adequate resources are available to meet the needs of referrals from the criminal justice system. Table and figures