What “Works” in Drug Court: A Bottom-up Female Participants' Perspective

Abstract

More than just numbers and statistics are needed to understand what works in drug court. This article stresses the importance of qualitative studies that take an inside look from the perspective of drug court participants to find out why and how drug court works. Focused interviews, participant observation, and analysis of video-taped interactions were the vehicles used to capture the subjective experience of 11 female clients in a California drug court. To foster empowerment and promote strategies and services to reinforce treatment goals, sanctions must be perceived as reasonable by participants and must be responsive to their needs. This article addresses motivation of involuntary clients, a core issue social workers and other change agents face within the criminal justice system. Dedicated staff, graduated supervision, accurate drug testing, wraparound services, resources, and referral, treatment facilities that accepted children and individualized treatment plan and therapists who are ex-addicts, and preferably females, increased these women's sense of self-efficacy perception and confidence in their ability to lead a drug-free life. Despite victimization, pathology, poverty, and oppression, these women found support in the drug court framework that facilitated their search for the various dimension of agency, empowerment, and resilient self efficacy.

KEYWORDS:

• Drug court
• female offenders
• phenomenological evaluation

Notes

Both authors have contributed equally to the writing of this article.