Research Summary This study capitalized on differences in domestic violence prosecution policies between two boroughs of New York City. In Brooklyn, arrest cases generally are filed, but in the Bronx, cases typically are not filed when the victim does not want to proceed. We sampled 272 intimate partner cases declined by the Bronx prosecutor and 211 similar cases filed by the Brooklyn prosecutor. The Brooklyn policy is more costly, and most cases ultimately were dismissed. After 6 months, rearrest rates did not differ significantly between the two boroughs, although victims offered qualified support for the universal filing policy. Policy Implications Prosecutors face conflicting pressures when victims do not support prosecution. Victim empowerment and resource conservation favor declining such cases, but sending a message of zero tolerance favors filing. Our results support an intermediate policy of filing most cases but dropping them sooner to give victims a voice while avoiding heavy investments in cases headed for dismissal.
This presentation recaps the findings from the Multi-Site Adult Drug Court Evaluation and highlights implications of these findings for both drug court practice and policy. Drug courts are effective at reducing crime and drug use and the role of the drug court judge is particularly important in this change process. Specific recommendations are given related to judicial status hearings and judicial behaviors, drug court eligibility and case processing, case management, and more.
In recent years, an array of specialized “problem-solving courts” has emerged throughout the country in an effort to address the underlying social problems facing defendants, victims, and communities. This article presents results of an exploratory study concerning the potential to apply specialized problem-solving court practices more broadly throughout conventional court and general calendar settings. Focus groups were conducted among judges in California and New York with experience in drug courts and other problem-solving courts. Judges identified many opportunities to practice problem solving in mainstream courts, at least on a limited basis, but also discussed numerous barriers to more widespread practice. The discussion also suggested shorter- and longer-term strategies to overcome the barriers and disseminate information about problem solving among a larger cross-section of the judiciary.
A growing number of courts mandate convicted domestic violence offenders to ongoing judicial monitoring. However, the effectiveness of monitoring has barely been examined with this population. Accordingly, matched samples were created between 387 offenders sentenced to judicial monitoring in the Bronx and 219 otherwise similar offenders whose sentences did not include monitoring. Propensity score matching techniques were used to balance the samples on arrest charges, criminal history, relationship to victim, and other case characteristics. The study found that judicial monitoring failed to reduce the re-arrest rate for any offense, for domestic violence, or for domestic violence with the same victim.
An extensive body of research indicates that adult drug courts reduce reoffending, whereas a more limited number of studies point to reductions in drug use as well. However, barely any research examines whether these programs produce benefits in other areas, including socioeconomic well-being, family relationships, mental health, and homelessness. To fill this important gap, findings are presented from a quasi-experimental study of 1,156 drug court participants from 23 sites and 625 comparison offenders from 6 sites where drug courts are unavailable. Six-month follow-up interviews were conducted with 1,533 offenders (86%) and 18-month interviews with 1,474 (83%) offenders. Findings indicate that drug courts produced modest positive effects (though many were not statistically significant) across a range of socioeconomic outcomes. Findings also indicate that drug courts reduced family conflict. However, significant effects were not evident with respect to emotional or instrumental support from family members, mental health, or homelessness.
