Performance Measures are a carefully chosen set of indicators of drug court performance in critical areas of functioning. They are a dashboard, reflecting program objectives.
- Identify success and potential areas of improvement
- Track activity and progress
- Understand how funds are being distributed
- Required by law
Recommendations for Drug Court Performance Measurement:
- Retention
- Sobriety
- Recidivism (in-program)
- Units of Service
Performance Measurement vs. Evaluation
Performance Measurement: Ongoing data collection to determine if a program is implementing activities and achieving objectives. It measures inputs, outputs, and outcomes over time.
Evaluation: A systematic process for determining the success of a program. It addresses questions about whether and to what extent the program is achieving its objectives.
Bureau of Justice Assistance Adult Discretionary Drug Court Program Performance Measures
BJA Adult Drug Court grantees are required to submit quantitative and qualitative performance measures.
BJA Performance Measures for Enhancement Grantees
BJA Performance Measures for Implementation Grantees
Below is a selection of the performance measure questions that grantees are required to answer. However, these measures can be helpful guidance for all Healing to Wellness Courts, as they consider how and what data they will gather on their Wellness Court.
Program Characteristics
- What is the expected number of participants the Wellness Court program plans to serve?
- What is the date that the Wellness Court first enrolled a participant?
- Does your Wellness Court program have a formal policy for graduated sanctions and incentives that is documented in writing and implemented fairly and with certainty in response to participant behavior?
- Does your Wellness Court program administer random and observed alcohol and substance abuse testing?
- Does your Wellness Court program use evidence-based treatment services?
(Evidence-based programs and practices are those demonstrated by the research literature to be effective at reducing substance use among court-involved individuals [a conclusion generally reached through one or more outcome evaluations]).
Program-Level Measures
- Does your Wellness Court offer inpatient treatment slots or services?
(A Wellness Court slot is a space or position used to determine the number of individuals who can be provided services based on available staff and program funds to deliver services. Inpatient services are services provided in a residential facility.) - Does your Wellness Court offer outpatient treatment slots or other substance abuse treatment services?
(Outpatient slots are not provided in a residential facility.)
(Substance abuse treatment services might include clinical assessment, outpatient group, outpatient individual, intensive outpatient, outpatient detoxification, addiction receiving facility, in-home counseling, and aftercare.) - Does your Wellness Court team include staff dedicated to case management or offender supervision services?
- Does your Wellness Court provide recovery support services to Wellness Court participants?
(Recovery support services might include- Employment services
- Housing services,
- Education services,
- Mental health services,
- Health services (medical and/or dental services),
- Pro-social services (such as sanger and stress management, faith-based services, family counseling, life skills training, mentoring),
- Other services.
Participant-Level Measures
- How many Wellness Court candidates were screened?
(Candidates are those identified at the time of arrest or referred by criminal justice professionals (i.e. prosecutor, defense counselor, probation officer, judge, etc.) but who may not necessarily be deemed eligible for participation. A screening determines eligibility and appropriateness for participation in a Wellness Court.) - Of those screened, how many were determined to be eligible and for Wellness Court participation?
(Eligible individuals include anyone who qualifies or meets the predefined requirements of the Wellness Court program.) - Of those screened and determined to be ineligible for Wellness Court participation, enter the number of such individuals based on the following categories.
(If an individual was determined to be ineligible for multiple reasons, report that individual under all categories that apply.- No drug problem
- Exclusionary prior non-violent offense
- Violent history
- Mental health diagnosis
- Other
- Of those screened and determined to be ineligible, enter the race, ethnicity, and gender of each individual.
- Of those eligible but who did not enter the Wellness Court, enter the number of such individuals based on the following categories.
- Participant refused entry
- Prosecutor or Defense objection
- Judicial objection
- Out of jurisdiction
- Arrest, conviction, or incarceration on another charge
- Other
- Of those eligible but who did not enter the Wellness Court, enter the race, ethnicity, and gender, of each individual.
Risk Assessment
- Enter the number of newly admitted Wellness Court participants who were administered a risk and need assessment.
(A risk and need assessment is an instrument to help identify factors that may leads a participant to reoffend. It pinpoints needed services to minimize those risks.) - Name the risk assessment instrument that is used to assess risk and need.
- Of those newly admitted participants who were administered a risk and need assessment during the reporting period, please enter the number of such individuals who were identified as having high criminogenic risks and high abuse treatment needs.
Number of Wellness Court Participants Receiving Services
- Enter the total number of participants enrolled in the Wellness Court.
- Enter the race, ethnicity, and gender for each participant.
- Enter the number of Wellness Court participants who successfully completed all program requirements, excluding financial obligations.
- Of those who completed all program requirements, from start to finish, indicate when these participants graduated from the program within the following time frames.
- 0 to 6 months
- 7 to 12 months
- 13 to 18 months
- 19 to 24 months
- 25 months or more
- Enter the number of individuals who did not complete the Wellness Court program for the categories below.
- Number of participants no longer in the program due to court or criminal involvement (technical violation, arrest, conviction, revocation, reincarceration)
- Number of participants no longer in the program due to a lack of engagement (no-shows and nonresponsive participants)
- Number of participants no longer in the program due absconding
- Number of participants no longer in the program due relocating or case transfer
- Number of participants no longer in the program due death or serious illness
- Number of participants who did not complete the program for other reasons
- Of those Wellness Court participants who exited the Wellness Court program unsuccessfully or did not complete the program, indicate when these participants left, from start of the program to termination, within the following time frames.
- 0 to 3 months
- 4 to 6 months
- 7 to 9 months
- 10 to 12 months
- 13 to 18 months
- 19 or more months
Alcohol and Substance Involvement
- Of those enrolled in the Wellness Court program at least 90 days, enter the number of participants who tested positive for the presence of alcohol, non-prescribed medications, or illegal substances during the reporting period.
(Alcohol and substance use information should be based on documented tests rather than self-reported information from program participants. Include all participants who received services during the reporting period, regardless of whether they successfully completed the program, exited the program without completion, or are currently enrolled.) - Of those enrolled in the Wellness Court program at least 90 days, enter the total number of participants tested for alcohol, non-prescribed medications, or illegal substances during the reporting period.
Court and Criminal Involvement
- Since the start of the Wellness Court, how many participants:
- Are still participating in the Wellness Court?
- Have successfully completed the Wellness Court?
- Exited the Wellness Court unsuccessfully?
- Enter the total number of participants who have had a criminal court and/or criminal involvement event.
(Pending charges that the individual had before entering the Wellness Court should not be counted. New charges that are dropped and/or not prosecuted should not be counted.)
| Charged for Committing a New Criminal Offense | Conviction for a New Criminal Charge | Revocation of Terms of Supervised Release | |
| Participants who are still participating in the program | |||
| Participants who successfully completed the program in the past 12 months | |||
| Participants who successfully completed the program 12-24 months ago | |||
| Participants who unsuccessfully exited the program |
- Enter the number of Wellness Court participants who were charged with any drug offense(s).
(Criminal history should be based on official arrest information from local, state, or national law enforcement reporting system or official court records. In the case of multiple offenses, this should be determined by the top charge. - Enter the number of Wellness Court participants who were charged with any non-drug offense(s).
- Enter the number of participants who were charged with any drug or non-drug offense(s) within 1 year after successfully completed the Wellness Court program.
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