The Progress News: mheiss | April 8, 20222
HARRISBURG — According to a recent study, Pennsylvania’s Problem-Solving Courts programs have resulted in increased success for participants and significant cost savings to taxpayers.
Supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the courts worked with NPC Research to perform a statewide study of Pennsylvania’s Adult Drug Treatment Courts (ATCs) and Driving Under the Influence Courts (DUI) between 2013 and 2018.
In commissioning the study, the courts charged NPC Research with evaluating program costs and measuring outcomes including those related to participant recidivism.
According to the report, all Pennsylvania DUI Courts showed reductions in recidivism for all charge types at three-year post entry, with the overall reduction in recidivism for DUI court participants at 36 percent.
Statewide, DUI courts saved more than $8.5 million for the three years after program entry as a result of fewer rearrests, court cases and person and property victimization, according to the study results.
The study also found that a majority of Pennsylvania’s ATCs showed reductions in recidivism by more than 75 percent in some programs, with a majority demonstrating better results than comparison groups for all rearrests.
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