Graduates Speak: A Qualitative Exploration of Drug Court Graduates' Views of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Program

Abstract

A noticeable omission from the plethora of existing drug court research is the voice of those experiencing the program itself. This is an exploratory analysis of the exit interviews of 55 graduates of a Pennsylvania drug court that attempts to address some of this omission. Findings suggest that, in retrospect, graduates find the program structure and random urine screens beneficial to drug rehabilitation; however, there are concerns over perceived differential treatment by team members and lack of respect for defendant time.