Effects of Motivation and Problem Severity on Court-Based Drug Treatment

Abstract

This study addresses the effects of motivation and problem severity on outcomes in two court-baseddrug treatment programs. Data were examined for 578 offenders served by a drug court and223served by a drug treatment court mandated through California's Substance Abuse Crime Prevention Act (SACPA). It was hypothesized that client-reported motivation would be associated with severity of drug problems and that motivation would be positively associated, and severity negatively associated, with program completion and 12-month, postdischarge recidivism. The first hypothesis was supported— motivation for treatment, measured by client-reported need for treatment and acknowledgementof problemseverity, was associatedwith severity of druguse. Program completion in drug court was predicted by client motivation and prior jail time, whereas SACPA completion was predicted by severity of drug problems and prior employment. Recidivism was associated with program completion and problem severity but not treatment motivation in either program. Implications for court-based treatment programs and future research are discussed.