Drug Courts Webinar Series: Pathways into Drug Court: Stakeholder Perspectives on Race, Admission, and Engagement

Recent changes in how addiction is understood have contributed to greater use of treatment‑based responses in drug policy, including the development of drug courts as alternatives for individuals charged with lower‑level, non‑violent offenses. Drug courts are often recognized for benefits such as cost effectiveness and reduced recidivism, though prior research documents variation in participation and outcomes across demographic groups, including by race. This webinar examines how drug court stakeholders understand the factors shaping access to and early experiences in drug court, with particular attention to criminal processing and admission decisions. Drawing on ethnographic observations in 22 drug courts across 18 counties and interviews with 52 stakeholders, the webinar explores how institutional structures, discretionary practices, and participant experiences intersect with race to influence who enters drug court and under what conditions. Findings suggest that stakeholders most often attribute differences in admission and early engagement to systemic and procedural factors, including eligibility criteria, referral processes, and prior experiences with the legal system, factors they noted may operate differently across racial groups. Stakeholders also discussed how trust in court‑based interventions, capacity to engage with treatment expectations, and cultural norms and stigma around help‑seeking may shape early program trajectories. Stakeholders described a range of potential strategies to support access and engagement, including outreach within the court, education for justice system actors and community members, and increased use of data in decision‑making processes. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of examining early stages of drug court involvement and highlight how institutional processes and stakeholder roles jointly influence participation and engagement across diverse populations.

Presenters:
Tasha Perdue, Assistant Professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University
Lydia Applin, Doctoral Candidate, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University
Additti Munshi, Doctoral Candidate, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University

Moderator:
Dr. Krystel Tossone, Senior Research Consultant, Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center

The Drug Court Webinar Series is hosted by The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Drug Enforcement and Policy Center and The Ohio State University John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and Cornell University Brooks School of Public Policy Department of Sociology.

This project was supported by Award No.15PNIJ-21-GG-04708-NIJB, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. 

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.