Conclusion
Because juvenile and family drug courts are relatively new, there has not been a sufficient period of
operation to document significant results over the long term. Juvenile and family drug court judges are
reporting, however, that their initial experience confirms remarkable sustained turnaround by juveniles
and adults in the program who were otherwise at high risk for continued, escalating criminal
involvement and illegal substance use. Such indicators as recidivism, drug usage, educational
achievement, and family preservation, either through retention or regaining of custody, indicate that
juvenile and family drug courts hold significant potential. All involved with these programs also agree
that the juvenile and family drug courts are exercising much more aggressive supervision over the
juvenile offender and adult litigant than would be provided in the traditional court process. They also
believe that the rigorous monitoring of participants, along with the treatment and rehabilitation
requirements imposed, promotes a far greater likelihood of success in reducing drug use and criminal
activity than can be achieved through the traditional court process.
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