Research Questions: This project provided feedback on program effectiveness for drug courts in Maryland, including adult drug treatment courts, juvenile drug treatment courts, family recovery programs, and DUI courts. The research questions were:
1. How does each drug court program in Maryland implement the 10 key components of drug courts?
2. Do drug courts reduce recidivism?
3. Do drug courts reduce substance use?
4. Do drug courts save human service system resources compared to traditional court processing?
Project Design: NPC provided technical assistance and feedback to programs, and performed process, outcome and cost studies. The process evaluations used qualitative analyses, on-site observations, focus groups with participants (and parents when applicable), key stakeholder interviews, and reviews of program documentation. The outcome studies looked at archival data from drug court programs, probation and parole, treatment, and jail/prison detention. Cost studies gathered information from budget records and key stakeholder interviews and compared the investment and outcome costs of drug courts and traditional court processing. Outcome and cost studies used a quasi-experimental design that included a sample of drug court participants and a comparison group of individuals with similar characteristics who did not participate in the drug court program. NPC used the Transactional and Institutional Cost Analysis (TICA) approach for cost studies.
Funding Source: Office of Problem-Solving Courts, Administrative Office of the Courts of the State of Maryland
Start Date: February 2007
Project Team
Co-Principal Investigators
Project Director
Project Staff
Judy M. Weller, B.S.
Reports and Publications:
Burrus, S. W. M., Mackin, J. R., & Aborn, J. A. (Aug. 2008)
Baltimore City Family Recovery Program (FRC) Independent Evaluation: Outcome and Cost Report
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
Report /
Mackin, J. R., Carey, S. M., Finigan, M. W., Martin, S. J., Linhares, R., & Weller, J. M. (Oct. 2007)
Montgomery County Juvenile Drug Court Process Evaluation.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
Report /
Crumpton, D., Mackin, J. R., Weller, J. M., Linhares, R., Carey, S. M., & Finigan, M. W. (Sept. 2007)
Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court (Adult Offenders in District Court) Process Evaluation.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
Report /
Mackin, J. R., Carey, S. M., Finigan, M. W., Linhares, R., Weller, J. M., & Mackin, R. J. (Sept. 2007)
Prince George’s County Juvenile Drug Court Process Evaluation.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts, & the Maryland Governor’s Office on Crime Control and Prevention. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
Report / /
Crumpton, D., Mackin, J. R., Weller, J. M., Linhares, R., Carey, S. M., & Finigan, M. W. (July 2007)
Baltimore City Drug Treatment Court (Adult Offenders in Circuit Court) Process Evaluation.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
Report /
Mackin, J. R., Carey, S. M., Finigan, M. W., Allen, T. L., Linhares, R., & Weller, J. M. (July 2007)
Caroline County Juvenile Drug Court Process Evaluation, Final Report.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
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Crumpton, D., Mackin, J. R., Weller, J. M., Linhares, R., Carey, S. M., & Finigan, M. W. (July 2007)
Harford County Adult District Drug Court Process Evaluation.
A report to the Maryland Judiciary, Office of Problem-Solving Courts. NPC Research: Portland, OR.
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