Funding Agency: Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts/Bureau of Justice Assistance
Purpose: The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts receives funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to implement and operate Adult and Juvenile Drug Court programs throughout the state of Kentucky. The Center on Drug and Alcohol Research has been contracted to provide process and outcome evaluations for all Drug Court programs funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Aims: (1) To conduct a process evaluation for the implementation of funded Drug Court programs to provide an in-depth description of program delivery and functioning. Methods used for data collection include extensive personal interviews with Program Coordinators and Judges, treatment team focus groups, staffing and court observations, reviews of program literature, including participant handbooks, newspaper articles, brochures, policy and procedure manuals, and other available materials, data extraction from participant files (including demographic characteristics, prior drug use characteristics, phase promotions/demotions, sanctions/rewards, urine screens, employment status, housing stability, educational success, criminal justice history, health/mental health history), and review of monthly statistical information submitted to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts. (2) To conduct an outcome evaluation which gauges program effectiveness. Data are extracted from participant files, monthly statistical information submitted to the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts are reviewed, and recidivism information obtained from Kentucky CourtNet on terminated, graduated, and current participants is analyzed.
Contact: Jennifer Havens @ 859-323-6553 or jennifer.havens@uky.edu