The Collaborative Justice Program undertakes research on the collaborative courts of California.

Publications
1. California Drug Courts: A Methodology for Determining Costs and Avoided Costs (05/23/2006)

Research Summary: California Drug Court Cost Analysis Study

Phase I: Building the Methodology

Phase II: Testing the Methodology Final Report

The study found that

• Drug court participants had significantly lower rates of recidivism than the comparison group (29% vs. 41%). Graduates of the drug court program had even lower rates of recidivism (17%).
• The nine drug courts showed savings ranging from $3,200 to $20,000 per participant.
• The study showed over $9 million in savings for the state for a group of 900 participants.

2. California’s Collaborative Justice Courts: Building a Problem-Solving Judiciary
This study describes the development of the various collaborative courts in California since their inception in the 1980’s.

These studies describe joint projects with the Center for Court Innovation in New York. The studies focus on the transferability of collaborative justice practices.

Center for Court Innovation: Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts: Opportunities and Barriers 

Center for Court Innovation: Collaborative Justice in Conventional Courts: Stakeholder Perspectives in California