The Nebraska Public Policy Center conducted an evaluation of Nebraska’s Problem-Solving Courts for the Administrative Office of the Courts. The evaluation was conducted from March – September of 2007 and covered eight probation problem-solving courts in Nebraska, including three adult drug courts (Midwest Nebraska, Northeast Nebraska, Sarpy County), four juvenile drug courts (Scottsbluff, Lancaster County, Douglas County, Sarpy County) and one young adult problem-solving court (Douglas County). The goal of the Nebraska’s Problem-solving (Drug) Court evaluation was to understand how well drug courts work, examine offender characteristics, examine current practices and procedures, and determine outcomes for offenders entering problem-solving courts

DeKraai, Mark

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Publications of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center Public Policy Center, University of Nebraska 1-2008 Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation Mark DeKraai University of Nebraska - Lincoln, mdekraai2@unl.edu Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/publicpolicypublications  Part of the Public Policy Commons DeKraai, Mark, "Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation" (2008). Publications of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. 7. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/publicpolicypublications/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Public Policy Center, University of Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Nebraska’s Drug Courts  Evaluation  The Nebraska Public Policy Center conducted an evaluation of Nebraska’s Problem-Solving Courts for the Administrative Office of the Courts.  The evaluation was conducted from March – September of 2007 and covered eight probation problem-solving courts in Nebraska, including three adult drug courts (Midwest Nebraska, Northeast Nebraska, Sarpy County),  four juvenile drug courts (Scottsbluff, Lancaster County, Douglas County, Sarpy County)  and one young adult problem-solving court (Douglas County).   The goal of the Nebraska’s Problem-solving (Drug) Court evaluation was to understand how well drug courts work, examine offender characteristics, examine current practices and procedures, and determine outcomes for offenders entering problem-solving courts.     Key questions on the evaluation included:   • Questions related to participants and potential participants: 1) Who do the courts intend to serve (target population)? 2) Who are they serving (participant characteristics) and how do participants  rate on risk assessment measures? 3) How do participant characteristics compare to admission criteria,  sentencing guidelines, and offenders not admitted to drug court (e.g.,  persons sentenced to probation or imprisonment)? 4) What issues exist related to access to services?  • Questions related to program implementation: 5) What are the core program components for each court, and how are they  similar/different? 6) How do practices compare to proposed problem solving court rules? 7) How do current practices compare to best practices (evidence-based and  national recommendations)?  • Questions related to outcomes: 8) What are participant outcomes (e.g., post-program recidivism)? 9) How do client characteristics (e.g., severity of offense, demographics,  treatment needs) relate to outcomes? 10) How does program implementation (components) relate to outcomes?  The evaluation used a variety of methods to answer these questions , including:  Document Review/analysis (questions 1, 5) • Review of court admission policies • Review of court policies/procedures • Synthesis of prior Nebraska evaluations  Literature Review/Synthesis (question 7)  • Synthesis of evidence based practices pertaining to problem-solving courts DeKraai, M. (2008 January).• Synthesis of best available practices pertaining to substance abuse treatment   Problem-solving Court evaluation (question 6)  • Observation related to national standards • Observations related to policies and procedures  Interview/Focus Groups (questions 4, 6, 10) • Participants/family members/ non participant  • Judges, attorneys, probation, coordinators • Treatment providers  Data collection/analysis (questions 2, 3, 5, 8, 10)  • Demographics of participants/comparison groups • Offenses/ treatment need • Quantifiable procedures (i.e. treatment doses) • Outcome indicators (recidivism, drop-out rates)   Up to date, the data collection and analysis phase have been completed, and the final report will be available in Spring 2008, which will provide a comprehensive summary of key findings and recommendations for Nebraska’s drug courts.    

Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation

UNL | Libraries

University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
Publications of the University of Nebraska 
Public Policy Center Public Policy Center, University of Nebraska 
1-2008 
Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation 
Mark DeKraai 
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, mdekraai2@unl.edu 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/publicpolicypublications 
 Part of the Public Policy Commons 
DeKraai, Mark, "Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation" (2008). Publications of the University of Nebraska 
Public Policy Center. 7. 
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/publicpolicypublications/7 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Public Policy Center, University of Nebraska at 
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Publications of the University 
of Nebraska Public Policy Center by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - 
Lincoln. 
Nebraska’s Drug Courts  Evaluation 
 
The Nebraska Public Policy Center conducted an evaluation of Nebraska’s Problem-
Solving Courts for the Administrative Office of the Courts.  The evaluation was 
conducted from March – September of 2007 and covered eight probation problem-
solving courts in Nebraska, including three adult drug courts (Midwest Nebraska, 
Northeast Nebraska, Sarpy County),  four juvenile drug courts (Scottsbluff, Lancaster 
County, Douglas County, Sarpy County)  and one young adult problem-solving court 
(Douglas County).   The goal of the Nebraska’s Problem-solving (Drug) Court evaluation 
was to understand how well drug courts work, examine offender characteristics, examine 
current practices and procedures, and determine outcomes for offenders entering 
problem-solving courts.    
 
Key questions on the evaluation included:  
 
• Questions related to participants and potential participants: 
1) Who do the courts intend to serve (target population)? 
2) Who are they serving (participant characteristics) and how do participants 
 rate on risk assessment measures? 
3) How do participant characteristics compare to admission criteria, 
 sentencing guidelines, and offenders not admitted to drug court (e.g., 
 persons sentenced to probation or imprisonment)? 
4) What issues exist related to access to services? 
 
• Questions related to program implementation: 
5) What are the core program components for each court, and how are they 
 similar/different? 
6) How do practices compare to proposed problem solving court rules? 
7) How do current practices compare to best practices (evidence-based and 
 national recommendations)? 
 
• Questions related to outcomes: 
8) What are participant outcomes (e.g., post-program recidivism)? 
9) How do client characteristics (e.g., severity of offense, demographics, 
 treatment needs) relate to outcomes? 
10) How does program implementation (components) relate to outcomes? 
 
The evaluation used a variety of methods to answer these questions , including:  
Document Review/analysis (questions 1, 5) 
• Review of court admission policies 
• Review of court policies/procedures 
• Synthesis of prior Nebraska evaluations 
 
Literature Review/Synthesis (question 7)  
• Synthesis of evidence based practices pertaining to problem-solving courts 
DeKraai, M. (2008 January).
• Synthesis of best available practices pertaining to substance abuse 
treatment 
  
Problem-solving Court evaluation (question 6)  
• Observation related to national standards 
• Observations related to policies and procedures 
 
Interview/Focus Groups (questions 4, 6, 10) 
• Participants/family members/ non participant  
• Judges, attorneys, probation, coordinators 
• Treatment providers 
 
Data collection/analysis (questions 2, 3, 5, 8, 10)  
• Demographics of participants/comparison groups 
• Offenses/ treatment need 
• Quantifiable procedures (i.e. treatment doses) 
• Outcome indicators (recidivism, drop-out rates)  
 
Up to date, the data collection and analysis phase have been completed, and the final 
report will be available in Spring 2008, which will provide a comprehensive summary of 
key findings and recommendations for Nebraska’s drug courts.  
 
 


https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=publicpolicypublications

Nebraska’s Drug Courts Evaluation

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

UNL | Libraries