A Juvenile Drug Court Model in Southern Arizona: Substance Abuse, Delinquency, and Sexual Risk Outcomes by Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Alcohol and drug use related crimes continue to be processed in juvenile courts at high rates. One approach for addressing substance related issues has been the implementation of juvenile drug courts. Juvenile drug courts were established given the wide-spread success of adult drug courts. However, juvenile drug courts require different components as compared to adult models. This article provides a description of a juvenile drug court in Southern Arizona and examines treatment outcomes by gender and race/ethnicity. Youth participating in the drug court evidenced positive changes in substance related issues, delinquency and juvenile justice involvement, and sexual risk behaviors. Differential effects were evidenced between boys and girls and white and non-white youth. The authors discuss the main findings and offer areas for additional research.