NH Treatment Drug Court Program Recidivism Study
JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), conducted an evaluation of New Hampshire’s Statewide Drug Court Program (DCP) Drug Treatment Courts (DTC) in 2025 which demonstrates that a multidisciplinary, person-centered approach that is responsive to individual needs significantly outperforms traditional justice system tracks in reducing recidivism and supporting successful reintegration into the community. JSI analyzed 1- and 3-year recidivism rates of drug treatment court participants who completed a drug treatment court program between the years of 2018-2020 from a purposive sample of three drug treatment courts. Using an “intent-to-treat” design to account for all enrolled participants regardless of completion status, the study found that 82% of individuals enrolled in a DTC did not have a subsequent conviction during or after their program involvement. This high rate of successful community reintegration is underscored by a dramatic reduction in short-term and long-term recidivism. Specifically, enrolled participants were nearly three times less likely to be convicted of a new crime within one year of successful completion and remained nearly two times less likely to recidivate at the three-year mark compared to those who were referred but never enrolled in DTC. The study concluded that New Hampshire’s Drug Treatment Court programs are highly effective at breaking the revolving door of the justice system.