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Potential Impact on Accountability of Youth Affected
Juvenile drug courts are intended to
promote greater behavioral accountability
on the part of participants, resulting
in an increased level of compliance
with court-ordered conditions
of release. As a result of the intensive
supervision focused on the juvenile
participant and the close collaboration
of the drug court team, the juvenile
drug court can:
- Respond immediately when a participant
becomes involved in recidivist
delinquent activity.
- Respond immediately to subsequent
substance use by the participant.
- Supervise the participant intensively.
- Help the participant develop structure
and accountability that can benefit the participant during the
period of initial program participation and after the court’s jurisdiction
terminates.
Although most juvenile drug courts
are still relatively new and remain in
the process of documenting the full
range of their impact, most have
demonstrated the following results
(see OJP Drug Court Clearinghouse
and Technical Assistance Project,
2001):
- Substantial reductions in recidivism.
- Substantial reductions in drug use,
as measured by the frequency of
positive urinalyses (compared with
urinalyses of a comparison group).
- School progress of program participants,
as measured by percentages
of participants who remain in
school, return to school, or obtain
a general equivalency diploma
(GED).
- Improved family functioning.
- Development of participants’ life
skills to promote their capacity to
live crime and drug free.
| Juvenile Drug Court Programs | JAIBG Bulletin
· May 2001 |
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