RD416 - Virginia’s Drug Treatment Courts 2010 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
This report reviews the basic operations and outcomes of Virginia’s drug treatment courts in fiscal year 2010. Information is provided in the report on program participants including demographics, program entry offenses, program length, and re-arrest after program completion or termination. Details are provided separately for adult, juvenile, family, and driving under the influence (DUI) drug treatment court programs. The report is based on data from the drug court database established and maintained by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), as well as arrest data from the Virginia State Police, and DUI drug court data provided by the Fredericksburg Regional DUI Drug Treatment Court program. Only the Fredericksburg Regional DUI DTC is reviewed to represent the DUI drug treatment court model in this report.

Analyses provided in this report are based on data entered for participants in Virginia’s drug treatment courts who entered a program after January 1, 2007, and either graduated or were terminated from a program between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2010.

In 2010, there were 30 operational drug treatment court programs in Virginia: 16 adult, nine juvenile, three family, and two DUI DTCs.

The goals of Virginia drug treatment courts are:

1. to reduce drug addiction and drug dependency among offenders;
2. to reduce recidivism;
3. to reduce drug-related court workloads;
4. to increase personal, familial and societal accountability among offenders; and,
5. to promote effective planning and use of resources among the criminal justice system and community agencies.

Administration of Drug Treatment Courts in Virginia

The Supreme Court of Virginia facilitates the development, implementation and monitoring of local adult, juvenile, family, and driving under the influence (DUI) drug treatment courts through the Drug Treatment Court Division in the Department of Judicial Services for the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES). The State Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee, established pursuant to statute, makes recommendations to the Chief Justice regarding recognition and funding for drug treatment courts, best practices based on research, and minimum standards for program operations. It also evaluates all proposals for the establishment of new programs and makes recommendation to the Chief Justice.

Virginia’s drug treatment courts operate under a funding strategy implemented in 2005 to sustain operation and funding of the 14 original drug treatment courts after their federal grants expired. There are ten adult and four juvenile drug treatment courts included in this funding. Those drug treatment courts receiving state funds use the funds primarily for drug court personnel. Treatment services for drug treatment court participants are generally accessed through the public substance abuse treatment system also known as the Virginia Community Services Boards (CSBs).

Summary of 2010 Drug Treatment Court Program Activity

Summaries of the major measures of program activity for adult, juvenile, and family drug treatment court programs (DTC), as well as the DUI DTC, are presented in Executive Summary Tables 1 and 2 on page 4. A more detailed review of these measures can be found in Chapter One while separate reviews of program activity and outcomes are set forth for each model in succeeding chapters.

Fiscal Year 2010 Summary Measures

Referrals. Referrals to adult, juvenile, and family DTC totaled 695 an increase of 30.1% over 2009. Referrals to the DUI DTC totaled 734, a decline of 25.7% from 2009.

New Admissions. New admissions totaled 481 to adult, juvenile, and family programs. There were 428 new admissions to the DUI DTC.

Active Participants. In 2010, there were 906 active participants in the adult, juvenile, and family DTC programs while the number of active participants in the DUI DTC was 761.

Graduates. The number of individuals who successfully completed an adult, juvenile, or family drug treatment court program in 2010 totaled 145 for an overall graduation rate of 46.0%. The graduation rate for the DUI DTC was 74.0%.

Terminations. There were 170 persons terminated from an adult, juvenile, or family drug treatment court during the year, a termination rate of 54.0%. The DUI DTC reported a termination rate of 26.0%. Terminations constitute unsuccessful program completion.

Re-arrests. While not enough time has elapsed since program completion to reliably assess re-arrest for those departing a program through graduation or termination in 2010, the data that were available for what time has elapsed showed a re-arrest rate of 19.5% for adult, and juvenile DTC and 13.3% for the DUI DTC.

A more reliable examination of re-arrest rates requires looking at 2008 and 2009 departures. In 2008, the overall re-arrest rate for those departing adult and juvenile programs was 43.9%, 20.0% for graduates compared to 49.1% for those terminated. In 2009, 12.4% of graduates were re-arrested compared to 39.3% for those terminated, an overall rate of 26.4%.