NUMBER AND TYPES OF DRUG 

COURTS

There are more than 3,100 drug courts across 

the United States, half of which are adult 

treatment drug courts. 

Adult drug courts are guided by 10 key 

components (see Defining Drug Courts: 

The Key Components1

) , the Drug Court 

Standards,2

 and BJA’s Seven Program 

Design Features, available in Spanish.3

Juvenile drug courts are guided by Juvenile 

DrugTreatment Court Guidelines.4

Family drug courts are guided by 10 Key 

Principles for Permanency Planning for 

Children.5

Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts have 

updated The Key Components.6

Background

Drug Courts

May 2017

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Drug courts are specialized court docket programs that target criminal defendants and 

offenders, juvenile offenders, and parents with pending child welfare cases who have 

alcohol and other drug dependency problems. Although drug courts vary in target 

populations and resources, programs are generally managed by a multidisciplinary 

team including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, community corrections, social 

workers, and treatment service professionals. Support from stakeholders representing 

law enforcement, the family, and the community is encouraged through participation 

in hearings, programming, and events like graduation. 

Adult drug courts employ a program designed to reduce drug use relapse and 

criminal recidivism among defendants and offenders through risk and needs 

assessment, judicial interaction, monitoring and supervision, graduated sanctions and 

incentives, treatment, and various rehabilitation services. Juvenile drug courts apply a 

similar approach that is tailored to the needs of youth with substance use disorders. 

These programs provide youth and their families with counseling, education, and 

other services to promote immediate intervention, treatment, and structure; improve 

level of functioning; address problems that may contribute to drug use; build skills 

that increase their ability to lead drug- and crime-free lives; strengthen the family’s 

capacity to offer structure and guidance; and promote accountability for all involved. 

Family drug courts emphasize treatment for parents with substance use disorders 

to aid in the reunification and stabilization of families affected by parental drug 

use. These programs apply the adult drug court model to cases entering the child 

welfare system that include allegations of child abuse or neglect in which substance 

abuse is identified as a contributing factor. Program goals include helping the parent 

to become emotionally, financially, and personally self-sufficient; promoting the 

development of parenting and coping skills adequate for serving as an effective 

parent on a day-to-day basis; and providing services to their children. 

Other types of drug courts have emerged to address issues specific to unique 

populations, including tribal, driving while intoxicated (DWI), campus, reentry, 

veterans, and mental health courts. 

Program Development, Research, and Dissemination

Through financial grants and other assistance, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 

supports building drug court capacity to increase participation among appropriate 

1

 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/205621.pdf. 

2

 https://www.ndci.org/resources/publications/standards

3

 http://www.nij.gov/topics/courts/drug-courts/pages/research2practice.aspx.

4

 https://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/250368.pdf.

5

 http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/keyprinciples.final_.permplanning.pdf.

6 http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/188154.pdf.

7 http://nij.gov/topics/courts/drug-courts/pages/madce.aspx.

RESEARCH FINDINGS

NIJ’s Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation7

found: 

• Participants reported less criminal activity 

(40% vs. 53%) and had fewer rearrests 

(52% vs. 62%) than comparable offenders.

• Participants reported less drug use (56% 

vs. 76%) and were less likely to test 

positive (29% vs. 46%) than comparable 

offenders.

• Treatment investment costs were higher 

for participants, but with less recidivism, 

drug courts saved an average of $5,680 

to $6,208 per offender overall.
adult target populations and to maximize criminal justice and treatment resources, 

such as partnerships with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. BJA provides 

training and technical assistance through the National Drug Court Resource Center,

which supports several drug court services. The National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) 

delivers onsite and other operations development and implementation services under 

the Adult Drug Court Technical Assistance Project. The Statewide Adult Drug 

Court Training and Technical Assistance Program at the Center for Court Innovation 

assists state court administrators and has a National Drug Court Online Learning 

System. The Tribal Law and Policy Institute serves tribal healing to wellness (drug) 

courts with a Tribal Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance Program. NDCI

also reports updates on drug court activities and delivers extensive curricula to drug 

court professionals through national conferences, regional planning, and other training 

meetings. 

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) supports 

juvenile and family drug court programs through financial grants and other assistance, 

including assessment tool development and state standards guidance. In 2007, OJJDP 

partnered with SAMHSA and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to better serve 

substance-abusing delinquents by developing a Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming 

Futures Program model; an evaluation found participating youth with high levels of 

criminal behavior and substance use had better outcomes compared to those in other 

juvenile drug courts or intensive outpatient treatment programs.8

 The Juvenile Drug 

Courts Mentoring and Support Services Initiative provides training and technical 

assistance through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to 

juvenile programs, and through the Center for Children and Family Futures to family 

programs. In 2016, OJJDP released new Guidelines for Juvenile Drug Treatment 

Courts that provide juvenile courts with an evidence-based, treatment-oriented 

approach. These are now in the testing phase to examine implementation and 

outcomes, and American University is managing OJJDP’s Juvenile Drug Treatment 

Courts Training and Technical Assistance Project. 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funds research on drug court processes, 

impact, and cost-efficiency. One evaluation tracked 10 years of cohorts in the 

Multnomah County Drug Court and found rearrests were lower 5 years or more later 

for participants than for comparable drug offenders; however, reductions ranged from 

17 percent to 26 percent across cohorts with changes in programming and judge 

assignments. NIJ’s Multisite Adult Drug Court Evaluation found that programs 

significantly reduce drug use and criminal offending — both during and after program 

participation. Compared to traditional case processing and supervision, drug courts 

have higher investment costs, especially in treatment services. However, savings 

associated with victim and criminal justice system costs are greater due to fewer 

crimes, rearrests, and incarcerations. Drug courts that target offenders with high 

criminogenic risk and high substance abuse treatment needs yield the most effective 

interventions and maximize return on investment. Findings from NIJ’s Evaluation of 

Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Courts are due in 2017.

BJA and NIJ’s joint Adult Drug Court Research to Practice (R2P) Initiative promotes 

the dissemination of information emerging from research on addiction science, 

substance abuse treatment, and drug court programs. The project awarded to 

the National Center for State Courts and American University produced webinars, 

webcasts, and other research dissemination to practitioners, policymakers, and other 

stakeholders.

RESOURCES

BJA Drug Court Discretionary 

Grant Program

https://www.bja.gov/ProgramDetails.

aspx?Program_ID=58

National Drug Court Resource Center 

http://ndcrc.org

Adult Drug Court Technical 

Assistance Project

https://www.ndci.org/resources/training/ta

Statewide Adult Drug Court Training and 

Technical Assistance Program

http://www.drugcourtta.org

National Drug Court Online Learning 

System

http://www.drugcourtonline.org

Tribal Drug Court Training and Technical 

Assistance Program

http://www.wellnesscourts.org

National Drug Court Institute

http://www.ndci.org

National Council of Juvenile and 

Family Court Judges

http://www.ncjfcj.org

Center for Children and Family Futures

http://www.cffutures.org

Juvenile Drug Courts/Reclaiming 

Futures Program

http://www.ojjdp.gov/programs/

ProgSummary.asp?pi=44

Juvenile Drug Treatment Court 

Guidelines

http://www.ojjdp.gov/Juvenile-DrugTreatment-Court-Guidelines.html

OJJDP Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts 

Technical Assistance Project 

http://www.american.edu/spa/jpo/JuvenileDrug-Courts.cfm

NIJ Research on Drug Courts

https://www.nij.gov/topics/courts/drugcourts/Pages/welcome.aspx

Adult Drug Court Research to 

Practice (R2P) Initiative

http://research2practice.org

8 NCJ 238527 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/249744.pdf.