Juvenile Drug Courts and Recidivism: Results From a Multisite Outcome Study
A quasi-experimental design, with one-to-one matching on possible confounders and sociodemographics, was used for the outcome assessment (n = 1,372). Baseline and outcome data were drawn from justice system records. The study found that although there was variation across sites and, to some extent, outcomes, these JDCs were generally ineffective in reducing recidivism. Similar findings have emerged in other recent studies of JDCs. Given the results of this study and others, it is essential that juvenile courts work to improve the effectiveness of JDCs by increasing adherence to known principles of effective intervention. (Publisher abstract modified)
Article, 2016