Inside the Black Box: A Qualitative Evaluation of Participants’ Experiences of a Drug Treatment Court

Authors

Sarah Kuehn, Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaFollow
Rebecca Ridener, Slippery Rock UniversityFollow

Abstract

This study examined the program experiences of participants in a Drug Treatment Court located in Pennsylvania. In-depth interviews were used to investigate participants’ perceptions in regards to program components that aid them in the recovery process and challenges they face while completing the program. Results from the 16 interviews indicate that participants contribute their success in the program to its strict structure, accountability, and dedicated staff who buy into the court’s underlying principles of therapeutic jurisprudence. Implications for other drug treatment courts are discussed.

Keywords

Community Corrections, Drug Court, Drug Offenders, In-Depth Interviews, Offender Rehabilitation, Qualitative Research

Author Bio(s)

Sarah Kuehn earned her Jura Diplom (J.D. equivalent) at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. She received her PhD in Criminology at Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada in 2010. Dr. Kuehn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Security Studiesat Slippery Rock University. Her current research interests are community corrections, program evaluations, minority groups in the justice system, and public perceptions of offenders. The results of her research have been published and presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: Sarah.Kuehn@sru.edu.

Rebecca J. Ridener received her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2010 and is an Associate Professor, Undergraduate Coordinator, and Internship Advisor in the Department of Criminology and Security Studies at Slippery Rock University. Her research focuses on criminological theory, corrections, program evaluation, and the effects of education on issues related to criminology and criminal justice. Dr. Ridener has written many technical reports, published in journals such as Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, and presented at numerous national and regional conferences. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: Rebecca.Ridener@sru.edu.

Publication Date

12-10-2016

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended APA Citation

Kuehn, S., & Ridener, R. (2016). Inside the Black Box: A Qualitative Evaluation of Participants’ Experiences of a Drug Treatment Court. The Qualitative Report, 21(12), 2246-2267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2470