Supervised treatment in the Criminal Court: A Process Evaluation of the Manhattan Misdemeanor Drug Court

Abstract

In July 2000 the Manhattan Misdemeanor Treatment Court joined the growing number of drug treatment courts that place and monitor criminal offenders in drug treatment. There are five treatment courts currently operating in New York City, but this is the only one that targets misdemeanor offenders alone. State announced an ambitious plan to expand drug treatment for all addicted offenders. The experience of the Manhattan Misdemeanor Treatment Courtdemonstrates both the potential these problem-solving courts hold and the challenges they present. If successful, treatment courts can reduce substance use and reoffending, but a poorly implemented court runs the risk of increasing costs without achieving itsgoals.