Changing the System and Making It Work: The Process of Implementing Drug Courts in Los Angeles County

Drug court programs, a recent criminal justice system innovation, have been implemented in more than 125 jurisdictions nationwide. Because they are such new programs, there is very little research that evaluates their design, implementation, and effectiveness. This article examines the implementation of four courts within Los Angeles County that operate under the same set of guidelines established by an oversight committee. The process evaluation used focus groups with drug court teams, observation of court hearings and group treatment sessions, and interviews with treatment providers. The policy implications based on our findings may be useful to other jurisdictions that are designing or implementing new drug court programs.