Gifford Elizabeth J, Eldred Lindsey M, McCutchan Sabrina A, Sloan Frank A
Department of Economics, Duke University, 213 Social Sciences Building, Box 90097, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy. 2014 Sep 24;9:40. doi: 10.1186/1747-597X-9-40.
Empirical evidence has suggested that drug treatment courts (DTCs) reduce re-arrest rates. However, DTC program completion rates are low and little is known about the effectiveness of lower levels of program participation.
We examined how DTC program referral, enrollment without completion, and completion, affected re-arrest rates during a two-year follow-up.
We used statewide North Carolina data from criminal courts merged with DTC data. Propensity score matching was used to select comparison groups based on demographic characteristics, criminal histories, and drug of choice (when available). Average treatment effects on the treated were computed.
DTC participation levels included referral without enrollment, (n = 2,174), enrollment without completion (n = 954), and completion (n = 747). Recidivism measured as re-arrest on a substance-related charge, on a violent offense charge not involving an allegation of substance abuse, and on any charge (excluding infractions) was examined by felony and misdemeanor status during a two-year follow-up period.
Re-arrest rates were high, 53-76 percent. In general, re-arrest rates were similar for individuals who were referred but who did not enroll and a matched comparison group consisting of individuals who were not referred. In contrast, enrollees who did not complete had lower re-arrest rates than a matched group of individuals who were referred but did not enroll, for arrests on any charge, on any felony charge, and on substance-related charges (felonies and misdemeanors). Finally, relative to persons who enrolled but did not complete, those who completed had lower re-arrest rates on any charge, any felony charge, any misdemeanor charge, any substance-related charge, any substance-related misdemeanor or felony charge, and any violent felony charge.
Enrolling in a DTC, even without completing, reduced re-arrest rates. Given the generally low DTC completion rate, this finding implies that only examining effects of completion underestimates the benefits of DTC programs.
实证证据表明，毒品治疗法庭（DTC）可降低再次被捕率。然而，DTC项目的完成率较低，对于较低程度的项目参与效果知之甚少。
我们研究了DTC项目的转介、未完成的登记以及完成情况如何在两年的随访期间影响再次被捕率。
我们使用了北卡罗来纳州刑事法庭的全州数据与DTC数据合并。倾向得分匹配用于根据人口统计学特征、犯罪历史和首选毒品（如有）选择对照组。计算了对治疗对象的平均治疗效果。
DTC参与水平包括未登记的转介（n = 2174）、未完成的登记（n = 954）和完成（n = 747）。在两年的随访期内，通过重罪和轻罪状态，考察了以与毒品相关的指控、不涉及毒品滥用指控的暴力犯罪指控以及任何指控（不包括违规行为）再次被捕的累犯情况。
再次被捕率很高，为53%-76%。一般来说，被转介但未登记的个体与未被转介的匹配对照组个体的再次被捕率相似。相比之下，未完成登记的参与者在任何指控、任何重罪指控以及与毒品相关的指控（重罪和轻罪）方面的再次被捕率低于被转介但未登记的匹配个体组。最后，相对于登记但未完成的人，完成项目的人在任何指控、任何重罪指控、任何轻罪指控、任何与毒品相关的指控、任何与毒品相关的轻罪或重罪指控以及任何暴力重罪指控方面的再次被捕率较低。
参加DTC，即使未完成，也能降低再次被捕率。鉴于DTC的总体完成率较低，这一发现意味着仅考察完成情况的效果会低估DTC项目的益处。
