The National Drug Court Institute is committed to improving drug court operations by equipping the field with best practices that are evidence-based. It is intended to be used by the drug court team to help improve treatment practices. Evidence-based practices to assist in the improvement of overall drug court program are presented in drug court screening, evaluating the effectiveness of addiction treatment, relapse prevention therapy with substance abusing offenders, medication-assisted treatment for participants in drug court programs, cultural competency in drug court, co-occurring disorders, gender-responsive drug treatment services for women, case management and drug courts, linking drug court participants to needed services, motivational incentives in drug court, and application of sanctions. The chapters in the document are organized into four main areas: introduction (of evidence-based practice), narrative, recommendations, and resources. Each chapter also provides an extensive list of resources which will allow the teams to further review the concepts. Each chapter provides research that can guide drug courts in their efforts to increase retention and graduation rates of participants that agree to go through the drug court process. References and appendix