Predictors of Drug Court Success in a Small City Drug Court

Abstract

This study examines the factors related to completion outcomes of the East Central Judicial District Drug Court (ECJDDC). The ECJDDC has a 71% graduation rate which far exceeds the national average of approximately 40-45%. The dataset included information on 250 participants who entered the drug court from 2003-2011. Factors included in the analysis include those related to living situation, family situation, socioeconomic status, veteran status, current offense, and prior criminal history in addition to sex, race, and age. Logistic regression determined that the strongest predictors of graduation relate to education, income, employment, and living situation. Policy implications, practice, and future research are discussed with respect to the current results.