Examining an opioid court for felony probationers

Christine A. Saum, Kimberly A. Houser, Matthew L. Hiller — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In response to the opioid crisis, specialty opioid courts have emerged, but we know little about those who participate or their outcomes. We examined participant characteristics along with the impact of their sociodemographic, criminal history, substance use, mental health, and other variables on retention and graduation in an opioid court program. Key findings suggest that participants without health insurance, those with multiple mental health problems, and those with early justice system involvement had poorer outcomes. These results suggest that additional interventions both within the court and through community partners for those with more complicated life circumstances may prove beneficial. Indeed, ongoing budget constraints and limited resources may require problem-solving courts to focus on those at the greatest risk for failure. Nevertheless, opioid courts must be prepared to provide all participants with the tools, services, and support they need so they can realistically achieve otherwise extremely challenging goals.

Applying systems theory to drug courts: Advancing the drug court research agenda

Elizabeth Hartsell — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The application of systems theory to criminal justice is not new. However, its explicit application to drug courts is novel. The drug court literature has historically suffered from a lack of theorizing and theory testing. Situating drug courts within the larger criminal justice system can help academics and practitioners understand what is going on outside of drug court, how it has important implications inside drug courts, and ultimately can help us better understand how and why drug courts may work for some participants and not others and why some drug courts may be more successful than others. This paper is a thought exercise that applies Mears (2017) systems theory to drug courts and sets forth directional hypotheses as part of a new drug court research agenda.

Drug Court Review

Examining an opioid court for felony probationers

Applying systems theory to drug courts: Advancing the drug court research agenda