Evidenced Based Protocols for Adult Drug Courts

1. Evidenced Based Protocols for Adult Drug Courts Jacqueline van Wormer, PhD Washington State University NADCP/NDCI

2. “The first test of reform is in it’s record of implementation. A program must ultimately be judged by results, what actual benefits it brings, and what degrees of mischief it has created…..” • David J. Rothman, Conscience and Convenience (1980)

4. Defining and MeasuringRecidivism and Desistance • Recidivism is a central concept when assessing the effectiveness of a program because policy makers and practitioners want to know what impact a program or sanction has on criminality. • When a person reaches a permanent state of non-offending, it is called desistance. Desistance is the ultimate goal of all prevention and correctional intervention efforts.

5. What is evidence-based vs. best practice?

6. Definition: Evidence-Based • Multiple site random controlled trials across heterogeneous populations demonstrating that the program or practice is effective for the population.

7. Definition: Best Practice • An approach, framework, collection of ideas or concepts, adopted principles and strategies supported by research.

8. Program versus Practice

9. Evidence-Based Programs

10. “What Works” In Juvenile Justice? Exploring evidence-based practices

11. Effective Juvenile Justice Principles • Probation/court monitoring, group homes, and correctional facilities have modest effects on recidivism. Some studies show modest negative. • Deterrence-oriented programs that focus on discipline, surveillance, or threat of punitive consequences (e.g., prison visitation Scared Straight–type programs, boot camps, and intensive probation supervision) have no effect on recidivism and may actually increase it . • “Therapeutic” programs oriented toward facilitating constructive behavior change have shown very positive effects—even for serious offenders. • Source: Lipsey, 2010

12. Best Practices in Juvenile Justice • Howell, Lipsey & Wilson (2014) A Handbook for Evidence-Based Juvenile Justice Systems • Strengthen the family. Where no functional unit must establish a family surrogate to nurture the child. • Use RNR system to properly assess and match youth to gender, developmental and culturally relevant services. • Target most services on serious, violent, chronic offenders. • Intervene immediately and effectively – but in an appropriate manner • Use services/treatments built for youth and families. • Community based and tailored to the individual. • Use of interagency teams for comprehensive case planning. • Graduated sanctions

13. Evidence-Based Practices • OJJDP Guidelines Project: Under development • Lack of empirical evidence in support of JDC programs. Mixed results • Louisiana Best Practice Standards for Drug Courts

14. Adolescent Development

15. Who is this?…. • Forgetful • Impulsive • Risk-taker • Reckless • Displays poor judgment • Cant tell you what he wants in life • Isn’t ready for bed until midnight – at best • Moody & hard to engage • Enjoys the shock factor • Disheveled • Experimentation

16. This is not a child brain, or undeveloped adult brain. It is a biologically unique brain characterized by the ability to change and grow. • Adolescence begins at puberty (biological function) and ends with a social definition of adulthood. • Mismatch between limbic system (emotion) and prefrontal cortex: • Prone to risk taking • Novelty seeking • Social interaction with peers • Biology encourages separation of the young adolescent from family in order to explore and recreate • Found in all social mammals • “What most determines teen behavior, then, is not so much the late development of executive functioning, or the early onset of emotional behavior, but the mismatch of timing between the two.” Jay Geidd, 2015

19. Proper Use of Detention

24. To Summarize: • Research shows us that: • Detention can slow or interrupt the natural aging out of delinquency • There is no correlation between increasing amounts of time spent in detention and future reductions in recidivism. • Formally detained youth have reduced success in the employment market and will earn significantly less in their life time • 40% of incarcerated youth have learning disabilities and cannot successfully navigate their way back into school • Detention has a negative impact on the mental health of youth – especially those that enter with mental health conditions • Source: The Dangers of Detention: Justice Policy Institute

25. To Summarize • Most importantly: • The use of detention increases the odds that youth will continue on the path of delinquency. • Must carefully apply detention or the juvenile court may in fact be negatively impacting public safety • Detention serves a vital purpose for our high-risk, violent and serious offending youth. 70% of youth in detention are classified as non-violent.

26. Individualized • Risk/Needs/Responsivity

27. R-N-R • RISK: who to treat • NEED: what to treat • RESPONSIVITY: how to treat

28. The RISK Principle • Because criminal behavior can be predicted, services should be matched to each person’s risk of reoffending • To reduce recidivism: • Higher risk youth need additional services • Lower risk youth need little to no intervention

29. The (Criminogenic) NEED Principle • The Central Eight • The Big Four (Tier I) • antisocial personality traits, thinking, and attitudes • criminal associations • Tier II • Substance abuse • Family/marital relationships • Education and employment • Positive leisure activities • Source: Andrews & Bonta (2010)

30. The RESPONSIVITY Principle • Service delivery should be responsive to the learning style and capabilities of each individual client • What protective factors does the client possess that will assist with participation in and completion of services?

31. Data • Cannot reach a level of best practices without the use of data. • Data should drive decision making, programming planning, caseloads, target populations. • Monitor for racial/ethnic disparities in filings, referrals, detentionstays, access to and completion of services.

32. Quality Assurance • Why QA? To use multiple levels of data and information to measure impact, and to implement changes if necessary • Multi-level Quality Assurance: State, County, Provider level. • Source: Crime and Justice Institute at Community Resources for Justice, Kristy Pierce‐Danford, & Meghan Guevara (2010). Commonwealth of Virginia: Roadmap for Evidence‐Based Practices in Community Corrections.

33. The QA Process • How does each stakeholder define quality • Draft definition of highest quality service for your JDC • (e.g. Utilize RNR tool for program placement, individualized TX & Incentives and Sanctions) • Logic Model – what do you intend to happen, and what are your short and long term outcomes? • How will you measure the goals? • Data Review • Peer Review: Audits, file reviews, interviews, checklists, client & staff surveys • Always communicate!

34. Questions?

35. Contact Information • Contact: Jacqueline van Wormer, Ph.D. Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology Washington State University SAC 403A Spokane, WA  99210 (509) 628-2663 (cell) (509) 358-7907