Browsing by Author "Gallagher, John Robert"

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    Improving Graduation Rates in Drug Court Through Employment and Schooling Opportunities and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
    (Taylor & Francis, 2018) Gallagher, John Robert; Wahler, Elizabeth A.; Lefebvre, Elyse; Paiano, Tara; Carlton, Jesse; Woodward Miller, Jane; School of Social Work
    Drug courts have been a key part of the criminal justice system since 1989, and this study contributes to the existing body of research by identifying which participants (n = 248) were most likely to graduate from a drug court in Indiana (United States). Three variables emerged as significant predictors of graduation. First, participants who were employed or were students at the time of admission were nearly 2.5 times more likely to graduate than participants who were not. Second, participants who were using opiates as their primary drug of choice were over 80% less likely to graduate than participants who were using non-opiates as their primary drug of choice. Third, participants who had violations in the first 30 days of the program were nearly 50% less likely to graduate than participants who did not violate in the first 30 days. Offering medication-assisted treatment (MAT), such as methadone, Suboxone, or Vivitrol, to participants who have an opiate use disorder may improve graduation rates for this population. Additionally, graduation rates may also improve by offering more resources to assist participants in gaining and maintaining employment or schooling, and this seems to be especially important within the first month of the program.
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    Racial Disparities in Drug Court Graduation Rates: The Role of Recovery Support Groups and Environments
    (Taylor & Francis, 2018) Gallagher, John Robert; Wahler, Elizabeth A.; School of Social Work
    There are more than 3,000 drug courts in the United States, and research has demonstrated that, in some drug courts, African American participants are less likely to graduate than their White counterparts. Quantitative studies have documented the problem, but qualitative studies are needed to develop an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon through participants’ experiences. This qualitative study asked African American participants (n = 31) about their lived experiences in drug court to develop insight into the factors that might contribute to racial disparities in drug court outcomes. African Americans had favorable views toward both mandated and natural recovery support groups, and they felt that participating in these support groups increased their likelihood of graduating drug court. Conversely, African Americans felt that a barrier to graduating drug court was their environments, mainly risk factors posed by family, neighborhoods, and peers. Implications for drug court practice are discussed.