EVALUATION OF THE LANCASTER COUNTY ADULT DRUG COURT YEAR 3

The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center conducted this three-year evaluation of the Lancaster County Adult Drug Court to identify the characteristics of drug court participants, determine the outcomes produced by the drug court, and understand how the court operates. The evaluation determined that the Lancaster County Drug Court follows the guiding principles of drug courts, has highly qualified treatment staff, and offers evidence-based treatment though community treatment providers. The program met grant requirements for collecting and reporting information on intake and at six-month follow-up. From October 2010 through July 2013, the Lancaster County drug court accepted 156 participants, ranging from one to ten new participants per month. A majority of participants were 18-34 years of age. Nearly 65% of drug court participants were male and about 60% were white, non-Hispanic. Other characteristics of participants include 60% had children, 3.8% were Veterans, and about 25% were homeless or institutionalized prior to drug court participation. Nearly 40% of participants had a co-occurring mental health and/or substance use disorder