A Scoping Review on Drug Courts as an Alternative Approach to Reducing Recidivism
Abena Pinamang, Nunana Klenam Djokoto
Drug courts have emerged as treatment-oriented alternatives to conventional criminal justice processing for individuals with substance use disorders. By combining judicial supervision with substance use treatment and behavioral health services, these programs seek to address factors associated with substance-related offending and recidivism. However, evidence concerning their reported outcomes, implementation, and associated challenges remains dispersed across disciplines. This scoping review mapped the literature on drug courts as an alternative approach to reducing recidivism. It examined the characteristics of drug court interventions, reported recidivism and rehabilitation outcomes, implementation strategies and challenges, and gaps in the existing evidence. The review was conducted using a scoping review methodology guided by the JBI approach and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR. Literature published in English between 2002 and 2026 was searched across major electronic databases. Eligible evidence addressing adult or juvenile drug courts, treatment courts, or related diversion interventions were studied and synthesized thematically. The literature indicates that drug courts are associated with a range of reported outcomes involving recidivism, treatment engagement, substance use, and rehabilitation. However, the evidence is not uniformly positive: while several studies report reductions in recidivism and improved treatment outcomes, other studies have found no significant differences between drug court participants and comparison groups, and some research has identified disparities in outcomes across participant subgroups and program contexts. Outcomes vary according to program characteristics, treatment quality, participant characteristics, implementation context, and study methodology. The findings highlight the need for consistent evidence-based practices, equitable service delivery, and further longitudinal and multisite research to clarify long-term outcomes.
Drug Courts, Alternative Sentencing, Recidivism, Substance Use Disorders, Criminal Justice