This report presents an overview of the feasibility and impact of introducing evidence-based risk assessment and treatment-matching protocols into three established New York City drug courts. For this purpose, researchers used the Texas Christian University Drug Screen and the Level of Service Inventory-Revised assessment. Findings suggest that the LSI-R is a valid predictor of recidivism in the drug court population. The results also suggest that treatment-matching protocols that utilize LSI-R risk scores can outperform clinical judgment alone in matching drug court participants to appropriate treatment modalities that will address their needs and reduce recidivism.
Drawing on the same study, a focused analysis of the negative effects of intensive treatment on low-risk drug court participants was recently published in the Journal of Drug Issues.