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TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2002

Drug courts operating in communities and reservations throughout the country cannot prove they reduce repeat offenses, one of the key measures of success, the General Accounting Office reported on Monday.

But that doesn't mean the courts aren't working, Congressional researchers said. The Department of Justice stopped asking for the necessary information two years ago, according to the audit.

"DOJ cannot provide Congress, drug court program stakeholders, and others with reliable information on the performance and impact of federally funded drug court programs," the GAO wrote.

Pitched as a means of combating both crime and substance abuse, drug courts have become popular in recent years. According to the GAO, the number of operating programs has more than tripled, from about 250 three years ago to nearly 800 at the end of last year.

Indian Country, too, has rode the bandwagon. Tribes and Alaska Native villages play host to more than 30 courts, with nearly 50 more in the works.

But without accurate reporting, the courts, and their funding, are at risk. Congress has spent more than $260 million in grant money, including about $7 million to Indian Country, based primarily on the program's success at reducing repeat offenders.

An attempt to collect data from grantees began in response to concerns raised by GAO in 1997. But the study was halted last year after botches on behalf of the DOJ and RAND, an outside contractor, yesterday's report said.

Due to the failures, an entirely new assessment won't be able to tell how well the program is doing until 2007, the GAO added. RAND acknowledged shortcomings but defended its work in response to the report.

A DOJ official also said improvements needed to be made and cited difficulties in the data-collection process. Deborah J. Daniels, an assistant attorney general, also said drug court are working.

"With respect to the report's conclusion that [DOJ] continues to lack vital information," she wrote on April 3, "we believe there are numerous outcomes that, at least in part, evidence the successes."

According to the Drug Court Clearinghouse at American University in Washington, D.C., drug courts can reduce crime. A nationwide survey showed that the repeat crimes by program graduates dropped as much as 20 percent in certain communities. Normally, half of drug offenders return to the justice system.

The school has also looked at tribal courts. Based on information collected through the DOJ, tribal courts showed high rates of continued involvement.

The courts are attractive to tribes and communities because they can be tailored. Tribes often employ traditional healing, cultural and other methods to help adult and juvenile participants.

Get the Audit:
Better DOJ Data Collection and Evaluation Efforts Needed to Measure Impact of Drug Court Programs. GAO-02-434 (April 18)

Related Documents:
Tribal Drug Court Activity 2002 | Tribal Drug Court Activity 2001

Relevant Links:
Drug Court Program, Department of Justice - http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/dcpo
Drug Court Clearinghouse, American University - http://www.american.edu/justice

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