Drug Court Services for Female Offenders, 1996-1999: Evaluation of the Brooklyn Treatment Court

Drug Court Services forFemale Offenders,1996-1999: Evaluation ofthe Brooklyn TreatmentCourtAdele HarrellJohn RomanEmily SackURBAN INSTITUTEJustice Policy Centerresearch for safer communitiesRESEARCH REPORTJune 2001 URBAN INSTITUTEJustice Policy Center2100 M STREET, NWWASHINGTON, DC 20037www.urban.orgThe views expressed are those of the authors, and should notbe attributed to The Urban Institute, its trustees, or itsfunders.Drug Court Services for Female Offenders, 1996-1999:Evaluation of the Brooklyn Treatment CourtAdele HarrellJohn RomanEmily SackContentsChapter I. Introduction .........................................................................................1The BTC Vision.........................................................................................................1The BTC Evaluation...................................................................................................2Organization of the Report..........................................................................................3Chapter II. Evaluation of the BTC Implementation of theDrug Court Model and Drug Treatment Services ....................................................4The Drug Court Model as Implemented by BTC...........................................................4Evaluating BTC Implementation: The National Drug Court Institute Guidelines...........11Evaluating BTC Implementation: NIDA Principles of Effective Drug Treatment..........14Summary..................................................................................................................18Chapter III. The Impact Evaluation Methodology .................................................19Overview.................................................................................................................19The Conceptual Framework......................................................................................19The Sample and Survey.............................................................................................20Chapter IV. BTC Impact on Drug Use and Crime .................................................28Overview.................................................................................................................28Reductions in Drug Use............................................................................................28Reductions in Criminal Activity.................................................................................32Improvements in Employment, Social Adjustment, and Health....................................39Chapter V. Summary of Implmentation and Impact Evaluation Findings .............40Overview.................................................................................................................40ReferencesGlossary of Research VariablesAppendix A – Drug Testing ProtocolAppendix B – Consent FormsAppendix C – Survey Instruments 1Chapter IINTRODUCTIONThe Brooklyn Treatment Court (BTC) began in 1996 as a pilot demonstrationproject at The King’s County Supreme Court. The goal was to test the feasibility andeffectiveness of reducing drug use and crime by linking drug-addicted defendants in drugfelony cases to drug treatment and support services, under the close supervision of thecourt. In BTC, the judge, the prosecutor, defense attorneys, and clinical staffcollaboratively engage addicted offenders in a recovery program, under conditionsintended to protect public safety. BTC services include: 1) pre-arraignment case reviewand needs assessment to identify non-violent defendants with substance abuse historieswho may be eligible for services; 2) post-arraignment assessment and treatment planning;3) case-management and offender monitoring; and 4) supervised placement inappropriate treatment programs.The Center for Court Innovation (CCI) led the development of BTC, workingclosely with partner agencies. Funding for BTC was provided by a number of agencies,including the Drug Court Programs Office (DCPO) of the Office of Justice Programs, theCenter for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Substance Abuse and MentalHealth Services Administration, the State Justice Institute, the Unified Court System ofNew York State, and the City of New York. This evaluation of the BTC network ofservices for women was conducted by the Urban Institute under a contract to CCI withfunds provided by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.Funds from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment enabled BTC to developan extensive network of services tailored to the special needs of female offenders in needof drug treatment. This evaluation of the services for female offenders presents data oncourt operations for women receiving BTC services, examines the outcomes for a sampleof women, and then examines in depth the predictors of these outcomes for the sample.The BTC VisionBTC is designed to change the court response to drug-addicted offenders byproviding a collaborative network of treatment and supervi