Alternative Approaches to Criminal Justice: Problem-Solving Courts and Incarcerated Peer Education

• Main Author: Hibbard, Patrick Franklin
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2021
• Subjects: Criminology; Public administration; Public policy
• ISBN: 9798762102124

Decades of punitive criminal justice policies in the United States have depleted public budgets, disrupted families and communities, and fallen short of their intended purpose. By all measures, the War on Drugs and tough-on-crime policies have failed. Contemporary approaches to crime and deviance take a less punitive tack, looking to address conditions leading to crime. This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of two such efforts: problem-solving courts (PSCs) and incarcerated peer education (IPE).Miami-Dade County began the first PSC in 1989 with their drug treatment court. This policy innovation diffused throughout the US, currently numbering in the thousands, and covering multiple issues (e.g., mental health, veterans’ issues). To date, however, the bulk of research looking at PSCs evaluates participant-level outcomes (e.g., recidivism, drug use), despite having community-level mandates like public safety. Further, the little research into PSC impact on communities indicates increases in crime. I apply a stacked event study design on a purpose-built dataset of extant PSCs in the US to estimate their impact on crime, finding reductions ranging from a 2.06% decrease in theft to, surprisingly, a 6.22% drop in robbery, as well as returns between $1.98 and $2.45 for every dollar spent on PSCs. I also find evidence that these results stem from successful service provision, as I found PSCs reduce drug arrests, and that drug arrests appear to mediate PSC effects on crime.IPEs train people incarcerated as peer educators to teach others incarcerated on specific subjects. I evaluate the Indiana Peer Education Program, which trains people in the Indiana Department of Corrections to teach on health topics (e.g., chronic diseases). Findings indicate increases in health knowledge and behavior intentions for both peer educators and their students, and improved attitudes and self-efficacy for peer educators. Qualitative data from peer educators confirms self-efficacy findings and indicates the program helps them gain agency and a sense of purpose.Taken together, these results show less-punitive policies improve outcomes relative to traditional measures. Expanding these types of programs will improve public safety, keep communities and families more whole, and save tax-payer dollars.