Evaluation of the New South Wales Youth Drug Court Pilot Program: Final Report for the NSW Attorney-General’s Department

The NSW Youth Drug Court (YDC) pilot program is aimed at reducing offending and drug use amongst young people who have become entrenched in the criminal justice system. Many participants have a range of other difficulties including poor educational achievement, dysfunctional family backgrounds and psychological problems. The YDC attempts to address this wide range of young offenders’ needs and problems in a holistic way through intensive case management. The pilot program started on 31 July 2000. The NSW Attorney General’s Department commissioned a consortium from the University of New South Wales, led by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), to evaluate the pilot program’s operations over the two years to the end of July 2002. The evaluation is based on statistical monitoring; two implementation reviews; a study of program outcomes, including analysis of data on offending and interviews with participants; a review of legal issues; and an analysis of program costs.