Drug Court Outcomes

This report describes chemical dependency treatment participation and crime outcomes of 1,671 adults charged with felonies who were admitted to formally established drug courts in Washington State from July 2007 through June 2009. Three-year treatment and crime outcomes are compared to a matched comparison group of 1,671 adults charged with similar felonies in the same jurisdictions and time period and who were in need of treatment but not admitted to a drug court. Arrests, incarceration rates, and treatment participation over a three-year follow-up period are examined, as are net benefits associated with the reductions in crime attributed to admission to drug court. This is part of a series of analyses for DSHS’ Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery examining the experiences of recipients of treatment funded by the Criminal Justice Treatment Account, which pays for chemical dependency treatment for offenders who are chemically dependent or have a substance abuse problem that could, if untreated, lead to addiction.