Effectiveness of Case management within Drug Treatment Courts
Substance abuse can lead individuals to commit crimes that that may impact them for the rest of their lives. Many individuals involved in the criminal justice system (CJS) struggle with substance abuse disorders. In response to this growing problem, drug treatment courts have been developed and implemented by the CJS to reduce crimes related to drugs and alcohol by providing services such as counseling and intensive urine analysis screens. However, individuals still face problems concerning housing, employment, and relationships These problems if not addressed, can lead individuals to either not qualifying for such programs or relapsing and receding while in a program. Case management
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In a study about substance abuse and prison recidivism, all participants reported they had relapsed on a substance during their reentry and identified substance abuse as a primary reason for their criminal behavior (Phillips, 2010). According to Phillips, “Substance abuse seemed to interact with recidivism in two ways: as a barrier to successful reentry and as a mechanism to manage other difficulties faced during reentry” (p. 16). Participants reported key barriers such as employment difficulties, housing problems, and family problems. Participants also reported stress related to these barriers, which was ultimately managed with the use of substances. Participants themselves identified the importance of substance treatment within the criminal justice system as an implication from this study (Phillips, …show more content…
In a program in Missouri, case management and monetary support was provided to participants in a reentry program. Participants had access to a case manager who helped with housing, substance abuse treatment, and job and skills training programs among other things (Wikoff, Linhorst, & Morani, 2012). Wikoff et al. also found that “Participation was associated with a 42.2% reduction in overall conviction hazard” (p.295). It was also found that among those individuals who had receded during this study, all had some history of substance abuse. Implications of this study included that case workers play a crucial role in assessing the needs of individuals and providing them with services within the reentry process (Wikoff et al.,