Changing the System and Making It Work: The Process of Implementing Drug Courts in Los Angeles County

Abstract

AbstractDrug court programs, a recent criminal justice system innovation, have been implemented in more than 125 jurisdictions nationwide. Because they are such new programs, there is very little research that evaluates their design, implementation, and effectiveness. This article examines the implementation of four courts within Los Angeles County that operate under the same set of guidelines established by an oversight committee. The process evaluation used focus groups with drug court teams, observation of court hearings and group treatment sessions, and interviews with treatment providers. The policy implications based on our findings may be useful to other jurisdictions that are designing or implementing new drug court programs. Notes* This research was made possible by a grant from the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and funding from the Countywide Criminal Justice Coordination Committee (CCJCC). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of either the university or CCJCC. We would like to thank the personnel at the drug courts and treatment programs for their participation in the focus groups and interviews, along with their cooperation in other aspects of this case study. We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Carolyn Fetros and Jennifer Swoboda, graduate students from CSULB, who helped with the data collection.