Orange County Substance Abuse Crime Prevention Act of 2000 Outcome and Recidivism Study

Orange County District Attorney’s OfficeKatie J.B. Parsons, Ph.D.

Research Manager

Demographics◦ Who is being served?

Criminal and drug histories◦ Are those with less serious criminal histories more likely to

succeed?◦ Are those with more shorter drug histories more likely to succeed?◦ Is the existence of previous court-order treatment predictive of

success or failure?

Program Progress◦ Do those who complete the program have lower rates of recidivism?◦ Do PVs and NLVs predict success and/or recidivism?

Focused on 2nd year Participants (2002-2003)◦ Defendants

13,000 were eligible 3,347 sentenced 386 completed sample

Data collected mid to late 2006 (1 year follow up)◦ Data

District Attorney Case Management System Superior Court VISION State and Federal Criminal Histories

Evaluation completed early 2007 There have been no updates to data Definition of Success

◦Dismissal

A typical defendant was a white male in his early 30s who had a prior criminal conviction(s)

Sample was comparable to those who were sentenced and those who were eligible

Number of Prior Arrests

No Criminal History

5%

Minor Criminal History (1-2

arrests)17%

Moderate Criminal

History (3-5 arrests)

29%

Extensive Criminal

History (6 or more arrests)

49%

Types of Offenders

Violent (>=3)5%

Property (>=3)10%

Minor Property26%

Other4%

No Arrests5%

Drug (>=3)9%

Minor Drug11% Minor Violent

30%

Prior Drug Arrests◦ 40% had 1-2 prior drug arrests◦ 26% had 3-5 prior drug arrests◦ 13% had 6 or more prior drug arrests

Approximately 37% had a “recorded” previous court-ordered drug treatment

Average length of drug histories was 8 years

Sentenced in Court Assessment by Probation Referred to Treatment by HCA Enrolled in Treatment Complete Treatment Complete Program

◦ Includes all completion of all probation terms

Progress through SACPA Program Stages

Seen by Probation for Assessment

11%

Seen by HCA Referred to Treatment

6%

Completed25%

Failed to Report20%

Enrolled in Treatment -

Failed38%

80% charged with at least 1 PV Roughly 1 in 8 (12%) were removed for PVs

and resentenced. (lower that state evaluation 20%)

50% charged with a NLV ◦ 33% new drug◦ 10% new property◦ 7% new violence

Roughly 1 in 6 (16%) were removed for NLVs

Demographics Criminal and drug histories

◦ Are those with less serious criminal histories more likely to succeed?

◦ Are those with more shorter drug histories more likely to succeed?

◦ Is the existence of previous court-order treatment predictive of success or failure?

Program Progress◦ Do those who complete the program have lower rates of

recidivism?◦ Do PVs and NLVs predict success and/or recidivism?

Limit violent repeat offenders Do assessment and evaluation prior to

sentencing ◦ that way program tailored to defendant

PC 1000, P36, Drug Court◦ Spend limited resources on those committed to

drug and crime free lifestyle Might have an impact on PVs and NLVs