Drug treatment court of Vancouver: an empirical evaluation of recidivism

Background: Drug treatment courts (DTCs) have proliferated on the basis of their promise to reduce criminal recidivism among the burgeoning numbers of drug-related offenders. Empirical research on the effectiveness of DTCs indicates that they produce reductions in recidivism, primarily drawn from experiences in the US. There are no published outcome studies on Canadian DTCs. Canada's second DTC has operated in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside since 2001. We examine longitudinal changes in recidivism and characteristics of participants in the DTC in Vancouver (DTCV).

Methods: DTCV participants (n=180) were included in a longitudinal cohort design (intent-to-treat), and a comparison group was derived using the propensity score matching method. Matching variables represented the domains of health, offending, and socio-economic histories as well as demographics. Annualized rates of offending were compared for the two years prior to entering DTCV and two years following programme termination.

Results: Compared to the matched group of offenders, DTCV participants exhibited significantly greater reductions in offending, and a significant decrease in drug-related offences. The characteristics of DTCV participants differ significantly from those of the larger offender population in the DTES.

Conclusion: Results provide empirical support for the DTCV in relation to the goal of reducing criminal recidivism. Participants in the DTCV are disadvantaged in diverse ways apart from their offence-related difficulties. These results have implications for the design of DTC programmes, as well as for future research.