The Early Drug Courts

Case Studies in Judicial Innovation

This brief and readable volume focuses on five case studies in judicial innovation - the dedicated drug treatment courts in Miami, Oakland, Ft. Lauderdale, Portland, and Phoenix. Each case is presented in a chapter written by a local expert to describe and evaluate five prime examples of dedicated drug treatment courts. Editor W. Clinton Terry, III introduces this volume with a chapter that covers judicial innovation and dedicated drug courts, revealing that dedicated courts are unique because of their focus on treatment; the nontraditional, collaborative approach to treatment; and monitoring of by the judiciary. As Terry emphasizes, the court becomes an integral part of the treatment process itself, not just a referral point for offenders. The subsequent chapters are written to a common outline, creating a tightly edited and cohesive volume that addresses the following points:

- Community demographics

- Structural organization of the court

- Court caseloads, including drug cases

- Description of the initial decision to implement dedicated drug treatment courts

- Successes and failures of initial goals and objectives, and subsequent adaptations

- Measures of long-term successes and failures (recidivism and successful completion of treatment programs)

The concluding chapter, written by John Goldkamp, a proven researcher of drug courts, synthesizes the research from the evaluation of the exemplar courts, and examines other areas of possible research that would provide a firmer understanding about these courts - all of which speaks to the continued development and refinement of dedicated drug treatment courts. With approximately one billion dollars in federal monies earmarked for the creation of drug courts, this unique book offers a road map to the effective utilization of those funds.