Drug courts: Conceptual foundation, empirical findings, and policy implications

摘要

While drug courts have emerged on the criminal justice policy-making agenda with considerable fanfare in recent years, they have now reached the point in their operational advancement and political advocacy where continued growth and development are becoming more dependent on the strength of empirical evidence. Along with insights obtained from descriptions related to the history and function of drug courts, their divergence from traditional judicial practices, and their role in the new paradigm of therapeutic jurisprudence, this article analyzes the results of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the drug court evaluation literature. From a public policy perspective, these empirical assessments are considered in conjunction with the conceptual foundations and implementation strategies associated with contemporary drug courts, in an effort to address their future potential to maintain a prominent position on the public policy agenda. As with similar public initiatives, it is argued that the long-term survival of drug courts can be strengthened to the extent that they are based on theory that is solidly anchored to policy, policy to practice, and, ultimately, practice to evidence-based outcomes.