The success of a treatment court rests in the ability to use best-practice recommendations to ensure that its programs are person-centered and do no harm. While a significant amount of research exists on “what works” to achieve strong outcomes within treatment courts, some practices are still in need of further exploration and description. One such area is drug testing of adolescents in juvenile treatment courts (JTCs). This fact sheet highlights some of the key differences in research findings related to drug testing in youth versus adult treatment court; the importance of using adolescent-appropriate and person-centered practice with an emphasis on the therapeutic alliance; and the need to view drug testing as one tool for determining a youth’s progress in a JTC.

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This publication was developed by experts from All Rise’s Treatment Court Institute, the Center for Justice Innovation, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges; it was developed with support from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Office of Justice Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Date: 2024