Keeping Score 1998

Drug Strategies

Keeping Score 1998

SPOTLIGHT
Women and Drug Abuse:
Court Innovations

Drug use and related crime are largely responsible for dramatic increases in the number of women in jails and prisons in recent years. Child neglect and abuse cases also involve high rates of parental alcohol and other drug abuse. Innovations in local courts throughout the country are helping to reduce drug use and recidivism.

Women's Drug Courts. Drug courts place nonviolent, drug abusing offenders into intensive court-supervised treatment instead of prison. Most of the nation's 309 drug courts treat men and women-with more than 65,000 individuals treated since 1989. In Kalamazoo, Michigan (where 84 percent of all nonviolent women offenders abuse drugs), one drug court specializes in women's treatment. The Kalamazoo Drug Court opened in 1992, and includes trauma treatment and other specialized treatment groups for female offenders. More than half of the participants complete the program, and recidivism among graduates is just 10 percent. The Brooklyn Treatment Court has a Women's Criminal Justice/Treatment Network designed to link the court with treatment and social service partners as well as conduct cross-training for program staff.

The National Association of Women Judges views drug courts as a viable alternative to prison for pregnant substance abusers. Since 1989, more than 200 drug-free babies have been born to women receiving treatment through drug courts. Reduced health care costs for these infants exceeds $50 million. For more information, call the Drug Court Clearinghouse and Technical Assistance Project at (202) 885-2875 or the National Association for Drug Court Professionals at (703) 706-0576.

Family Drug Courts. In 1997, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment started to develop and evaluate family drug courts for child neglect and abuse cases. The Family Drug Court Initiative can improve access to substance abuse treatment, strengthen families, increase rates of family reunification, and improve child placement decisions. Participants are monitored through alcohol and other drug testing, frequent court appearances and court-supervised treatment. Child protective services (CPS) workers have learned to identify and refer families with substance abuse problems to the programs. In the first year, the project assembled an expert panel of judges, researchers, and representatives of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Drug Court Judges and the American Bar Association (ABA). The second year is devoted to capacity building and technical assistance to pilot evaluation sites, which include the Manhattan Family Court, the Kansas City Family Court, and the San Diego Juvenile Court. Currently, there are 16 Family Drug Courts, and another 10 being planned across the country. To learn more, contact the Family Drug Court Initiative at (202) 530-2309.

Unified Family Courts. Domestic relations, substance abuse and juvenile cases involving the same family have traditionally been heard in separate courts by different judges. Unified Family Courts aim to reduce duplication, delays and contradictory rulings related to a single family by combining traditional family and juvenile courts into one court which also provides social services to resolve family problems. The courts have jurisdiction over all family-related legal matters. In 1998, there were Unified Family Courts in 23 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The ABA Standing Committee on Substance Abuse is working with courts in six jurisdictions to implement Unified Family Courts. In Georgia and Illinois, for example, the courts can order substance abuse counseling and rely on counselors' reports in making final determinations. In California, some counties hold family night court with staffed child care facilities in some courthouses. For details on Unified Family Courts, call the ABA at (202) 662-1785 or the ABA Steering Committee on Unmet Legal Needs of Children at (202) 662-1675.

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Spotlight | Methadone Maintenance Treatment | Welfare Reform and Drug Abuse
Women and Drug Abuse: Court Innovations

Programs | Prevention Programs | Pregnant and Parenting Women's Programs
Family Treatment Programs| Criminal Justice Programs

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