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Specialty Courts are problem-solving court strategies designed to address the root causes of criminal activity by coordinating efforts of the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, treatment, mental health, social services, and child protection services. (Nevada Judiciary)
These programs offer an exit strategy for people who are stuck on the merry-go-round of criminal involvement due to underlying behavioral health concerns (mental health or substance use disorder). The ultimate goal is to treat the individual's behavioral health conditions (while they are under close supervision and monitoring) so that they might be less likely to engage in criminal activities in the future.
There are a wide range of specialty courts. Adult drug courts focus on felony-level offenders who have a diagnosed substance use disorder. Family treatment courts focus on parents who have abused or neglected their children because of their substance use disorders. There are also juvenile treatment courts, mental health courts, and DUI courts.
When specialty courts work well, the savings to individuals and communities is staggering:
A comprehensive drug court system typically costs between $2,500 - $4,000 annually for each offender, compared to $20,000 - $50,000 per person per year to incarcerate a drug-using offender. (Stanford)
Drug courts improve people’s lives in a variety of ways. They have been shown to increase rates of employment, help people obtain stable living arrangements, improve mental and physical health, and enhance interpersonal relationships. (Partnership to End Addiction)
The average effect of participation is analogous to a drop in recidivism from 50% to 38%; and, these effects last up to three years. (Mitchell, et al)
The key to these kinds of results is, of course, maximum effectiveness. Specialty courts are run by multi-disciplinary teams (prosecution, defense, treatment, social workers) under the direction of a judge. Team members are expected to attend regular trainings specific to specialty courts, such as the annual All Rise convention. Furthermore, each type of specialty court is operated with strict adherence to a set of research-based best practices. Adult drug courts, for example, follow the Best Practice Standards recommended by SAMHSA. DUI courts follow the 10 Guiding Principles for DWI Courts.
Impact's principal, Margo Teague, spent 15 years working as a paralegal for criminal and family law firms while completing her education. This training and experience positioned her to merge the worlds of criminal justice, family law, and social science. Today, Impact is fortunate to work with several specialty courts and one pre-trial services program throughout the State of Nevada.
Impact evaluates each specialty court's processes (are they following their respective best practice standards?), outcomes (what are their graduation rates?), and long-term impacts (how many participants are re-arrested?). Quality improvement plans are generated annually that provide the courts with specific goals, responsible entities, and timeframes for completion. These findings help inform future grant proposals and then, to complete the circle, grant-related goals and objectives are analyzed and reported on. Read more about how this is accomplished in the Nerd Corner below.
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