CONTINUATION OF NATIONAL DRUG COURT EVALUATION

The first year of this study was funded to allow a survey of all adult drug courts to allow a national portrait of drug courts in the U.S. and to provide the basis for selecting drug courts to participate in this multi-site, longitudinal offender-based study of drug court outcomes. The proposed impact evaluation includes 29 drug courts sites and five comparison sites with the goal of interviewing 2,200 offenders. Those drug courts that have a large enough population will permit a random selection of participants, but in the smaller courts it is anticipated that all drug court participants must be contacted. The 600 comparison group cases will be divided among five comparison sites which are located within the same regional clusters as the drug court participants to ease the need for interviewers. The drug courts included in this study are very diverse and when the data are pooled, the variations in policies and practices can be examined with the maximum external validity. Interviews will be conducted with each participant at baseline (within one month of entry into the drug court or court process), then 6 and 18 months later. In addition recidivism data will be examined at 24 months post-baseline. Strategies have been developed to maintain retention in the study at a 75% level. Hierarchical Linear Modeling and other statistical tests will be conducted to determine the impact of various drug court strategies and models on participant outcomes. In addition, a cost benefit analysis will also be conducted.

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This continuation grant award corresponds to supplement #2 to NIJ's Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE). It provides partial funding for Year 3 of Phase II in the amount of $1,006,383 for the period 10/1/06-6/30/07.

The initial award to the research team---incl. Urban Institute, RTI International, and the Center for Court Innovation---was made in 7/2003 for Phase I planning. A continuation grant award was made in 12/2004, corresponding to supplement #1 for Years 1 and 2 of Phase I. The project is scheduled to end in 9/2008, and NIJ anticipates making a final continuation grant award for the remaining balance in FY2007.

MADCE is a $6 million five-year longitudinal process, impact and cost study of adult treatment drug court programs. This study employs a hierarchical model that samples drug court and non-drug court probationers from rural/suburban/urban jurisdictions in several geographic areas across the U.S. Interview data will be collected from about 1800 probationers at baseline, 6-month, and 18-month followups; urinalysis data will be collected at the 18-month followup; and, archival data will be collected at a 24-month followup. Controlling for background characteristics and context (e.g., local drug laws), the analysis will examine the influence of drug court program components and resources on changes in: probationer perceptions (e.g., motivation), service access, compliance, relapse, recidivism, and other functional areas (e.g., employment).

nca/ncf

This continuation grant funds supplement #3 of the Multi-site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE), adding $523,263 for the period beginning 7/1/2007 (partial Years 3-4 of Phase II). The initial award to the research team (Urban Institute, RTI, and CCI) was made in 7/2003 for Phase I planning. A continuation grant award was made in 12/2004, corresponding to supplement #1 for Years 1 and 2 of Phase II. That was followed by supplement #2 in 1/2007 for partial funding of Year 3. The project is scheduled to end in 2008, and NIJ anticipates making a final continuation grant award for the remaining balance with FY2008 funds from BJA.

MADCE is a $6 million five-year longitudinal process, impact and cost study of adult treatment drug court programs. This study employs a hierarchical model that samples drug court and non-drug court probationers from rural/suburban/urban jurisdictions in several geographic areas across the U.S. Interview data will be collected from about 1800 probationers at baseline, 6-month, and 18-month followups; urinalysis data will be collected at the 18-month followup; and, archival data will be collected at a 24-month followup. Controlling for background characteristics and context (e.g., local drug laws), the analysis will examine the influence of drug court program components and resources on changes in: probationer perceptions (e.g., motivation), service access, compliance, relapse, recidivism, and other functional areas (e.g., employment).

nca/ncf

This is the fourth and final supplement to Phase II of NIJ's Multi-site Adult Drug Court Evaluation (MADCE) grant. MADCE is a longitudinal process, impact and cost evaluation based on a sample of non- and drug court probationers from 29 rural, suburban and urban jurisdictions Nationwide. It examines the influence of offender, court, and community characteristics on offender perceptions (motivation), service access, compliance, relapse, recidivism, and other areas (employment). Data for about 1800 probationers include: 3 waves of interviews using CAPI technology; administrative records on treatment and recidivism; drug detection tests; court observation and interviews with staff and other stakeholders; and budget and other cost information. Through 9/2009, the team will collect final administrative data, complete datafile construction, and conduct process, impact, and cost analyses. Work products include a briefing, conference presentations, data and reports for public archive. nca/ncf