Exploring the Impact of Technical Violations on Probation Revocations in the Context of Drug Court
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Exploring the Impact of Technical Violations on Probation Revocations in the Context of Drug Court Haley R. Zettler 1 & Kelli D. Martin 2 Received: 31 January 2020 / Accepted: 29 May 2020/ # Southern Criminal Justice Association 2020
Abstract Prior research indicates a large number of drug court participants commit technical violations, subsequently increasing the likelihood of revocation. However, there is limited research investigating the potential heterogeneous effects of technical violations on probation revocation in the context of drug court participation as a condition of probation. The current study provides an initial investigation into the relationship between specific categories of technical violations for offenders court-ordered to participate in a drug court. Results indicate that while the total number of violations predicts revocation and jail sanctions, specific violations have varying effects. Specifically, positive drug tests during court participation significantly predicted probation revocation. Regarding jail sanctions, all categories of violations with the exception of failure to pay and “other” violations were predictive of receiving jail time. Policy implications for probation practice are provided. Keywords Probation . Community corrections . Technical violations . Revocation
Introduction Substance abuse/use is a well-established risk factor in criminality (Bennett et al. 2008; Franco 2010; Sinha and Easton 1999). A meta-analysis conducted by Bennett et al.
* Haley R. Zettler [email protected] Kelli D. Martin [email protected]
1
Department of Criminal Justice, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305130, Denton, TX 76203–5017, USA
2
Taylor Callahan & Coleman, Bexar, and Hidalgo Counties CSCD, P.O. Box 6848, Granbury, TX 76049, USA
American Journal of Criminal Justice
(2008) determined that the odds of committing a criminal offense were 3–4 times greater for those who used drugs compared to those who did not, holding true across a variety of criminal activity. Substance use is also more prevalent among probationers than the general population, with an estimated 31% of probationers reporting illegal drug use or alcohol dependence in the past year (Feucht and Gfroerer 2011; Lurigio et al. 2003). As such, a large number of probationers are placed on community supervision for drug-related offenses (Kaeble 2018). In response to the increased number of substance-users coming in contact with the community correctional system, drug courts have become a common alternative to traditional correctional sanctions. It is estimated there are over 3100 adult drug courts operating across the United States (Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, & Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2018). Generally, prior research has concluded drug court programs are an effective alternative to traditional court processing for substance using offenders (Mitchell et al. 2012; Wilson et al. 2006). While the extant research is largely supportive of the drug
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