This resource was selected by SMI Adviser content partners and approved by the SMI Adviser clinical expert team for inclusion in the knowledge base.
Drug courts and other problem-solving courts are growing quickly but still serve only a small percentage of the people who need their services most. Pharmaceutical opioid use is rising and treatment professionals are being confronted with new challenges. Although most drug courts are achieving results, some programs – notably many juvenile drug courts – appear to be serving the wrong target population and not applying evidence-based practices. Additionally, African-Americans and Hispanics or Latinos appear to be underrepresented in some drug courts relative to jail and prison populations, and are graduating at rates substantially below those of non-Hispanic Caucasians. This report from the National Drug Court Institute reviews scientific literature on drug courts and other problem-solving courts and discusses current challenges for the field.