Initial lessons learned during a remote drug court evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic

• NCJ Number: 305249
• Journal: Journal of Crime & Justice Dated: 2022
• Author(s): E. Hartsell; J. Lane
• Date Published: 2022
• Grant Number(s): 2020-DC-BX-0148
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: Marion County Adult Pre-Plea Diversion Drug Court

Annotation

This paper discusses how the transition to Zoom changed the evaluation of the drug court and service delivery.

Abstract

 While we expected to conduct in-person focus groups and interviews with the court team and participants, as well as in-person observations of team meetings and court, these were not possible from March 2020 to June 2021 (in person court resumed in July 2021). Consequently, we adapted the now-funded, ongoing evaluation plan to conduct observations, interviews, and coding via Zoom and Qualtrics. We discuss the strengths, limitations, and early lessons learned from this endeavor. We also report initial findings on how COVID-19 affected service delivery and explore the possible implications of online drug court beyond the pandemic.