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Pretrial Drug Testing: Panacea or Pandora's Box? (From Criminal Courts for the 21st Century, P 168-185, 1999, Lisa Stolzenberg and Stewart J. D'Alessio, eds. -- See NCJ-186588)

NCJ Number
186593
Author(s)
Christy A. Visher
Date Published
1999
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the debates within research and policy on pretrial drug testing.
Abstract
The article describes the Washington, D.C., pretrial testing program, the longest-running such program in the country, and several studies of that program. It reviews additional research on the use of drug-testing results as a predictive indicator of pretrial misconduct. It relates the experiences and findings of six other jurisdictions that attempted to replicate the District of Columbia program. And it considers the future of pretrial drug testing and whether pretrial testing programs have a place in United States national drug policy. The article observes that pretrial drug testing will fail when local criminal justice officials have not adequately planned for its implementation. Pretrial drug-testing programs can be adapted to local circumstances and can play an important role in detecting and supervising drug-involved offenders. The utility of specific components of pretrial testing may vary from one jurisdiction to another, but all programs require careful planning and continual attention. The article concludes that, with strong internal and external support, pretrial testing programs can form a key element in a jurisdiction's criminal justice policy on drug abuse and drug-related crime. Tables, notes

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