Examining Contextual Differences in Participant Characteristics and During-Program Occurrences With Drug Court Program Completion

• NCJ Number: 255804
• Journal: Journal of Drug Issues Dated: 2020
• Author(s): Lisa M. Shannon; Afton Jackson-Jones; Jennifer Newell; Shondrah Nash; Elizabeth Nichols
• Date Published: 2020
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2011-DC-BX-0137
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared individuals participating in rural and urban drug courts regarding factors associated with program completion.

Abstract

For a sample of 534 drug court participants, data were collected on participant assessments, the drug court Management Information System, and conviction information from a statewide database. Based on multivariate analysis for rural participants, two variables were significantly associated with increased program completion: age and outpatient treatment. Conversely, for rural participants, the number of felony/misdemeanor convictions before drug court and receiving an incarceration sanction during drug court were associated with program non-completion. For urban participants, gender and age were associated with increased odds of program completion; whereas, marital status, education, and past 30-day cocaine use were associated with program non-completion. Findings suggest contextual differences in participant characteristics and during-program occurrences, which ultimately influenced program completion. Understanding contextual factors has important implications for program planning and implementation. (publisher abstract modified)