Drug Courts. Better DOJ Data Collection and Evaluation Efforts Needed to Measure Impact of Drug Court Programs.

摘要

This report responds to your request that we assess the Department of Justice's (DOJ) efforts to collect data on the performance and impact of federally funded drug court programs. The main purpose of a drug court program is to use the authority of the court to reduce crime by changing defendants' substance abuse behavior. Under this concept, in exchange for the possibility of dismissed charges or reduced sentences, defendants are diverted to drug court programs in various ways and at various stages in the judicial process. Judges generally preside over drug court proceedings; monitor the progress of defendants; and prescribe sanctions and rewards as appropriate in collaboration with prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers, and others. While some basic requirements are set at the federal level, most decisions about how a drug court operates are left to local jurisdictions.