Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jan 2007
Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT)
Copyright: 2007 The Salt Lake Tribune
Contact:  http://www.sltrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/383
Author: Elizabeth Neff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)

DO DRUG COURTS WORK? MORE STUDY IS NEEDED

In 1997, Marty Ann Young was the optimistic first graduate of Utah's 
pilot drug court. "I want to cry every time I think about how I was," 
the 36-year-old told The Salt Lake Tribune, describing a cocaine 
addiction that led her to drop out of nursing school, give up custody 
of her four children and serve stints in jail. Today, Young is being 
sought on two warrants for drug-related charges. Her story 
illustrates what judges do and do not know. There are no long-term 
studies on whether, or which, drug-court graduates stay off drugs and 
out of trouble.

The most recent study of short-term recidivism was done by the 
University of Utah's College of Social Work. Graduates from Salt Lake 
County's drug court in 2005 were tracked for a year and compared with 
defendants not in drug court. Among the findings: * 19.7 percent of 
graduates had a new arrest, compared with 29.8 percent of the 
comparison group. * Of participants who failed drug court, 46.5 
percent had a new arrest. Professor Russel Van Vleet, the study's 
director, said it indicates drug court is working, but adds: 
"Recidivism isn't particularly useful unless it's been over a period 
of time. If you can track people for at least three years, you can 
make a good statement." Officials are developing guidelines 
describing which drug Advertisementcourt practices work best. "We 
need to be able to say what we have learned from these 10 or 11 years 
of drug courts," said Rick Schwermer, Utah's point person on drug courts.
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