Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2670. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-206).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Centre for Health Promotion Studies. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on October 18, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

The subject of this thesis is criminal justice sentencing policy. The thesis examines the role of the Drug Court in diverting drug dependent offenders from the conventional Criminal Justice System. A large percentage of convicted offenders have a drug addiction problem and such offenders impose staggering burdens on an already overwhelmed Criminal Justice System. Diversion programs offer a practicable alternative to the traditional court system, and this thesis will investigate the feasibility of a Drug Court in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In examining the advantages and disadvantages of this method of sentencing, the thesis assesses the value of compulsory treatment and determines whether criminal justice sanctions should incorporate compulsory treatment initiatives. To aid in this analysis, additional diversion programs for drug addicted offenders are examined. The Drug Court is assessed through a comparison of the court with traditional sentencing principles. This thesis analyses the success of the Drug Court in other jurisdictions and looks at how the Drug Court deals with the sociological and environmental factors linked to drug abuse and criminality. In determining whether a Drug Court is a feasible option for Vancouver, the thesis examines these external crimogenic factors and the strategies undertaken by the City to combat drug-related crime. It is argued that the conventional criminal justice system provides little, if any, progressive and pro-active drug abuse intervention. This thesis concludes that Vancouver should implement a Drug Court to divert offenders from the traditional court system, and argues that the Drug Court diversion program should be available for drug-dependent property offenders. It identifies how the court can operate alongside pre-existing community services to ensure that post-release environmental conditions are conducive to drug abstinence and legitimate activity. In recommending adoption of the drug court program, the thesis stresses the importance of making this diversion scheme part of a community-based, long-term, holistic intervention strategy. The thesis ends with practical suggestions for implementation of a Drug Court program in Vancouver. / Law, Peter A. Allard School of / Graduate

Substance use disorders (SUDs) among community-based offenders are a significant challenge for criminal justice agencies. SUDs are linked with both adverse health risks and increased risk of recidivism. Given the consequences of SUDs, mandated substance use treatment is often required in community supervision. Unfortunately, relapse is extremely common regardless of whether treatment is a condition of supervision. Previous research has identified some factors that can influence treatment outcomes among offender populations, including demographic differences, substance use history, mental health conditions, and criminal history. This dissertation will argue that a more nuanced understanding of the role of health and well-being among community-based offenders is a necessary component in understanding treatment engagement. Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL), a construct to gauge health and well-being, is often used among medical communities to better understand health impacts on a given population as well as decision-making in treatment compliance studies. However, HRQOL is rarely studied in criminal justice, and has almost never been examined in community offender populations. A robust understanding of health is needed for this population of vulnerable offenders, an understanding that includes multiple dimensions of health including HRQOL. This study sampled a total of 103 offenders from drug court and probation settings, who were mandated to participate in substance use treatment. The health and treatment experiences of this sample of offenders were examined using mixed methods, beginning with quantitative analyses including descriptive, bivariate, multivariate statistical models and structural equation models. The multivariate models and structural equation models examined two main treatment engagement outcomes: whether offenders stayed in treatment and the proportion of treatment sessions attended. These quantitative findings were followed by qualitative analysis of 10 interviews with a subsample of the survey participants who had experienced some level of health difficulty at their baseline survey. Qualitative analyses sought to elaborate on the quantitative findings to provide context for how and why participants were or were not engaging with their mandatory treatment. Results from the quantitative analysis indicate that although criminal history is the most consistent factor influencing treatment engagement, various aspects of health appear to influence treatment success to some extent. HRQOL may influence whether participants stay in treatment. Treatment experiences and health also appear to differ substantially depending on the offenders’ primary drug of use. Offenders who exclusively used marijuana were substantially healthier than their harder drug using peers, and they appear to stay in treatment more easily. Furthermore, both mental and physical health conditions appear to influence treatment attendance among participants who used drugs other than exclusively marijuana. Finally, there were differences in treatment retention depending on whether participants were supervised by drug court or probation, such that drug court participants were more likely to stay in treatment; however, supervision type did not influence proportion of treatment sessions attended. Qualitative findings both provided support for some of the quantitative findings and also illuminated the nuances of the treatment engagement experience of offenders with health difficulties. Interviewees who primarily used marijuana tended to have less severe health difficulties and many did not perceive their use as problematic. Treatment engagement among participants was influenced by their motivation for treatment, whether they had mental health and/or physical health difficulties and the severity of those health difficulties. Logistical factors also influenced treatment engagement, particularly conflicts between treatment requirements and employment and familial relationships. Many of the results presented herein are exploratory and thus require replication; however, some clear directions for future research arise. There is a need to examine the role of health among community based offenders and their ability to comply with mandated treatment with a larger sample. In particular, studies are needed, which include more participants who use ‘harder’ illicit drugs such as opioids and cocaine, as they appear to have more difficulties both with their health and with treatment engagement. Further research is needed on models for Treatment Engagement that include multiple dimensions of health and allow for recursive relationships between health dimensions. Regarding policy and practice implications, the correctional agencies involved should consider re-evaluating the means by which offenders are assigned to supervision and SUD treatment. In particular methods for screening and assessment of SUDs should be re-evaluated, with particular consideration given to the role of offenders’ primary drug of use. / Criminal Justice

The purpose of the project is to develop and evaluate a writing unit that could be used to teach adult students in a drug court program. The project is based on theories behind narrative therapy, its use in the treatment of persons with addiction problems, and how the reframing of students' own life stories through writing can bring about change. By using writing prompts as both therapeutic and educational tools, the author hoped to improve the students' life-coping skills and their writing abilities. The unit consists of paragraph writing, essay writing, reflective writing that focused on past events, and using computers to compose and format texts. The author evaluated a preliminary draft of the unit by submitting it to four education professionals with a questionnaire. Data was also collected from the author's students by means of surveys, interviews, and writing samples. Feedback from the professionals and the students guided the revision of the unit. The questionnaire, survey, and interview questions used in the project and the preliminary and final revised drafts of the teaching unit are included.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (February 16, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 54-55)

Thesis (M.s.)--Northern Michigan University, 2006. / Bibliography: leaves 32-33.

A comparison of the structure and effectiveness of recovery ecosystems for opioid use disorder in Portugal and Appalachia, with a focus on identifying areas for improvement within the Appalachian region.

Currently, the drug court treatment outcome literature provides little guidance about examining clients that fail to complete drug court. Typically, only successful clients are tracked and measured for outcome success characteristics and not much is known about unsuccessful client outcomes. A large portion of individuals who begin drug court do not complete the program. With unsuccessful rates ranging from 34 to 73%, it seems reasonable to examine the outcome of these cases. Ignoring this phenomenon is problematic because various stakeholders remain uninformed about the drug court model’s full effectiveness. The focus on successful clients may fail to fully capture and understand positive residual effects of the drug court program. Questions in this research include: Do unsuccessful drug court clients experience positive program results? Has self-awareness increased about the extent of their substance abuse problem? Are unsuccessful clients more confident in their ability to effect positive change? Is there an increased motivation to change? If non-completers are more aware of the potential for harm, are there reductions in risky behaviors? This study is a qualitative investigation using a phenomenological design. The data source is a convenience sample of unsuccessful drug court clients that participated in a pre-trial intervention or postplea adult drug court program in East Central, Florida. The unit of analysis is the individual, and the total number of participants interviewed is N=30. A grounded theory approach, a harm reduction paradigm from the psychotherapy arena, and a variation of an Intention-to-Treat design from the medical field were used to frame the research. This study found some reductions in both criminality and substance use. Several participants also reported improved familial relations and continued connections to the recovery community. Many participants demonstrated an increased self-awareness of a destructive lifestyle, an increased motivation to change destructive behaviors, and an increased self-efficacy in their ability to make substantive life changes. Incarceration was also found to be a motivator for positive change. Therefore, the inclusion of unsuccessful client outcomes was found to be critical to fully understanding the impact of the therapeutic jurisprudence model. iv I wish to dedicate this dissertation to my family. In memory of my Great Aunt Pat and Uncle Charlie. To my mother, Lou Ray, who considered me her hero for which I never deserved. And to my sister, Toni, whom I truly love. I appreciate their understanding as I embarked on this sometimes onerous endeavor. To a few of my closest friends who were my champions throughout this process. To my dearest friend, Bill Van Poyck, for his continuous support and encouragement. Bill has helped me more than he will ever know. Thank you for acknowledging and understanding this difficult undertaking, and for always believing in me. To my dear friend, Kay McKee, who continually checked on me to make sure I was doing okay. Irrespective of her own life challenges, she put my struggles before her own. Kay has been such a wonderful friend and great supporter over the years. To my long-time, committed friend, JuJu, who shared one of my most stressful weekends working on this project. JuJu puts up with me when few people will. Most of all to my wonderful husband, Nick. He has been by my side through much angst and trepidation. He has helped me greatly with determining the best approach to take in several instances during this arduous endeavor. His unflagging patience, encouragement, and love I can never repay. Throughout my entire academic career, even though much time was taken away from him, he never once complained. He is the person I can always count on, and he often places my welfare ahead of his own. Finally, in memory of our boy, Willie McCool Francis. He brought so much joy into our lives. We know he can never be replaced. My dear friend told me, "we loved him and he loved us and that is a beautiful thing." We will never forget his unconditional and unwavering love for us. v AC

Since the passing of Proposition 47 in California in 2014, drug court programs across the state have invariably undergone changes. In my thesis, I evaluate the drug court programs of three counties in Southern California: Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Riverside County. Through a qualitative analysis of the drug court programs in these counties, via interviews, data collection, and courtroom observation, I provide insight into the functionality of each county's program, as well as an analysis of the effects of Proposition 47. This paper aims to address the key factors involved in maintaining a functional and successful drug court system.