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Abstract: 

Diversion courts were originally established to cut down on recidivism through reliance on a collaborative form of rehabilitative justice. These specialized dockets within the justice system typically rely on advancing defendants through several well-defined phases coupled with a focus on rehabilitating program participants rather than relying on traditional punishment that includes incarceration or probation. Although there is an abundance of research on treatment court efficacy, there is little research about the treatment court phases they so heavily rely on to provide structure for their programs. This study asked U.S. treatment court administrators working with substance use, DUI/DWI, and mental health court participants about the phases participants progress through for successful completion of their programs.

Keywords: Treatment courts, diversion courts, treatment court phases, rehabilitative justice, best practices

Affiliations:  1: Marist College; 2: Marist College; 3: Marist College; 4: Marist College.