BREAKING THE JUVENILE DRUG-CRIME CYCLE A Guide for

U.S.DepartmentofJusticeOfficeofJusticeProgramsNationalInstituteofJusticeBREAKINGTHEJUVENILEDRUG-CRIMECYCLEAGuideforPracticionersandPolicymakersAGuideforPractitionersandPolicymakersResearchReportU.S.DepartmentofJusticeOfficeofJusticePrograms810SeventhStreetN.W.Washington,DC20531JohnAshcroftAttorneyGeneralOfficeofJusticeProgramsNationalInstituteofJusticeWorldWideWebSiteWorldWideWebSite:AGuideforPractitionersandPolicymakersCurtisJ.VanderWaalDuaneC.McBrideYvonneM.Terry-McElrathHollyVanBurenMay2001NCJ186156JaniceMunstermanProgramMonitorThisprogramwassupportedundercontractnumberOJP–96–C–004toDuaneC.McBridebytheNationalInstituteofJustice,OfficeofJusticePrograms,U.S.DepartmentofJustice.FindingsandconclusionsoftheresearchreportedherearethoseoftheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheofficialpositionorpoliciesoftheU.S.DepartmentofJustice.TheNationalInstituteofJusticeisacomponentoftheOfficeofJusticePro-grams,whichalsoincludestheBureauofJusticeAssistance,theBureauofJusticeStatistics,theOfficeofJuvenileJusticeandDelinquencyPrevention,andtheOfficeforVictimsofCrime.PrefaceWrittenforpractitionersandpolicymakers,thispublicationisbasedonselectedsectionsofalongerreport,BreakingtheCycleofDrugUseAmongJuvenileOffenders(November1999,NCJ179273),themainsectionsofwhicharelistedintheappendix.Thelongerreportreflectsanextensivereviewofthelit-eratureandinterviewswithresearchersactiveindevelopingandevaluatingprogramsdesignedtobreakthedrug-crimecycleamongjuveniles.ThereportisavailableonNIJ’sWebsite().TheWebdocumentsummarizesexistingknowledgeaboutprogramsdesignedtointerveneinthejuveniledrug-crimecycleand,basedonthatknowledge,identifiesinterventionsthatpublishedresearchjudgestoofferthebestchancesforsuccess.Italsoprovidesguidelinesandrecommendationsfordevelopingacomprehensivejuvenilejusticesystemthatcanbestaddresstheneedsofdrug-usingjuvenileoffenders.Theauthorshopetheirreportwillcontributetotheselectionofeffectiveinterventionsandthedevelopmentofcollaborativepart-nershipsamongthejuvenilejusticesystem,drugtreatmentprograms,andothercommunityagenciesastheyseekwaystobreakthecycleofdrugsandcrimeafflictingsomanyoftheNation’syouths.TheauthorsoftheWeb-onlyreport,DuaneC.McBride,CurtisJ.VanderWaal,YvonneM.Terry-McElrath,andHollyVanBuren,wereallaffiliatedwithAndrewsUniversityatthetimethereportwaswritten.McBride([e-mail])andVanderWaal([e-mail])canbecontactedregardingthisresearchreportatAndrewsUniversity,InstituteforPreventionofAddictions,BerrienSprings,Michigan.TheypreparedtheonlinedocumentforNIJundercontractnumberOJP–96–C–004.ArelatedarticlebytheseresearchersappearsintheMay2000issueofTheJournalofBehavioralHealthServices&Research.1ThefirstthreeauthorsarecontinuingtheirworkinthisareathroughImpacTeen,apolicy-researchpartnershiptoreduceyouthsubstanceuse.ImpacTeenispartoftheBridgingtheGapInitiative:ResearchInformingPracticeforHealthyYouthBehavior,supportedbyTheRobertWoodJohnsonFoundationandadministeredbytheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago.iiiContentsPreface....................................................iiiIntroductionandPurpose.....................................1TheJuvenileDrug-CrimeCycle................................1BreakingtheCycle:WhatWorks?...............................2KeyStrategies.............................................2MajorElementsofaComprehensiveModel.......................4ImportantIntervention-RelatedConsiderations...................11Evaluation...............................................11ACaution:EthnicityandCulture..............................11AdditionalGuidingPrinciples.................................12CoreRoleoftheJuvenileJusticeandTreatmentSystems............13ImplementationattheLocalLevel.............................14Conclusion................................................15Notes.....................................................16Appendix..................................................19vIntroductionandPurposeAlthoughmanyattemptshavebeenmadetobreakthejuveniledrug-crimecycle,fewinterventionshavedemonstratedconsistentlypositivescientificout-comes.Thisreportsummarizesexistingknowledgeaboutprogrammaticeffortstointerveneinthatcycleandproposesinterventionsandprogrammaticchangesthatwillmostlikelysuccessfullyaddressthatcycle.Theauthorshopepracti-tioners,administrators,andpolicymakerswillusethisreporttoselecteffectiveinterventionsanddevelopcollaborativepartnershipsamongthejuvenilejusticesystem,drugtreatmentprograms,andothercommunityagenciesseekingtobreakthecycleofdrugsandcrimeamongyouthsintheUnitedStates.TheJuvenileDrug-CrimeCycleFormorethantwodecades,researchers,clinicians,andjuvenilejusticepro-gramadministratorshaveknownofthelinkbetweendruguse(includingalcohol)andjuvenilecrime.Inmanycommunities,themajorityofjuvenilescurrentlyenteringthejusticesystemaredrugusers.Otherresearchindicatesthatjuveniledruguseisrelatedtorecurring,chronic,andviolentdelinquencythatcontinueswellintoadu