Effective Use of Incentives and
Sanctions in Juvenile Drug Court
Jacqueline van Wormer, Ph.D.
Washington State University
S
This I Believe
I believe juvenile drug court
teams and professionals are
strengthened, enlightened, and
reinvigorated when I provide
valuable training, technical
assistance, and resources,
which improves their
knowledge level and adherence
to the preferred model, which,
in turn, may increase positive
outcomes for youth and
families in their community.
Learning Objectives
S Participants will review and discuss proper phase structuring for
adolescents – and why this matters in the proper use of incentives and
sanctions.
S Participants will learn about what DOES and what DOES work to
promote positive behavior change in youth.
S Participants will learn about contingency management for
adolescent’s substance abuse and use.
S Participants will learn how about contingency management theories
and they work in juvenile drug courts.
S Participants will learn how to develop behavior and activity contracts.
Are juvenile drug courts
effective?
Yes! But not always….
Depends on how (and if) they
implement the model
4
Are juvenile drug courts effective?
S Early research:
S Small samples and poor designs.
S Negative effects found by Hartmann & Rhineberger (2003);
S No effects on recidivism found by Wright and Clymer
(2001); Anspach et al., (2003)
S Positive Findings:
S Lutze & Mason (2007); Latessa et al (2002), Rodriguez &
Webb (2004), Shaffer et al., (2008) Hickert (2010),
Hennegeler (2006, 2012), NPC Research (2006, 2010)
S Latessa report (2013)
S Meta-Analysis:
S Null-findings for both Wilson et al (2006); Shaffer (2006)
S Small effect size – Mitchell et al (2012)
Taking a Closer Look
CC
BC
HC
SMC
AA
$9,070
$8,762
$5,702
$2,962
-172
357/29
407/26
283/12
341/13
315/40
2 weeks
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
weekly
Drug Tests
71
37
55
34
Self pay
Family
Counseling
Yes
Yes
No
No
Self pay
Parenting
Yes
No
No
No
No
Youth and
parent
Youth
Gender
Specific
+ MH
Youth
+ MH
Youth
Self pay
Savings
Court Sessions
Treatment
Part I
Building a Responsive Phase Structure
S
Can We Strengthen Our Court
Sessions to Bring About Stronger
Behavior Change?
S What is the purpose of using sanctions in your JDC?
S What is the purpose of using incentives in your JDC?
S What do youth behaviors look like during phase one?
S How do you want them to look by phase four?
Frustrating Behaviors
It begins with the phase
structure
Phase Two
Phase One
Phase Three
Phase requirements for youth and family should start out small, increase, and
then decrease again after the youth work through treatment and court related
goals.
Phase Structure
Source: Betty Gurnell
Phase I: setting
the stage
Phase II: learning Phase III:
skills
maintaining the
change
Readiness and engagement
Involvement, stabilization
Reflection, enrichment
Focus on compliance
Beyond compliance
Maintain drug testing, court
appearance
High level of structure
Skill development
Expanded development
activities
Clarifying expectations,
building trust
Completing assignments
Enriching community
connections
The Four Steps
S Behavior to target
S Current behavior
S Desired behavior
S Small, achievable increments
Decision Matrix – Phase I
Phase I
Incentives
Sanctions
Behavior
*Response
Response
Attend school at least 18 out
of 20 days
• Teacher signs attendance card • After school study hall for
each day present and
each day absent over the limit
acknowledges
to make up all missed work
•Small prize or coupon for each
week with no absences
Decision Matrix – Phase II
Phase II
Behavior
Attend regularly
Complete all assignments
Incentives
Sanctions
*Response
*Response
•Select a book , notebook,
pen after two weeks of
success
•Praise from teacher,
family, court
•Grades improve
•After school study hall to
complete assignments (with
help as needed)
Decision Matrix – Phase III
Phase III
Incentives
Sanctions
Behavior
*Response
*Response
Attend regularly
Complete all assignments
Improve grades
•Praise from teacher,
family, court for
improvement
•Certificate of achievement
•Select school related gift:
tuition, book
•Determine if tutor is
needed
•Attend extra class or
session for help
•Tighten curfew
7 (Easy) Steps to Individualizing
Your Juvenile Drug Court
Start with…
1. Screening and assessment
And
2. Use the results to drive case planning
So we can…
3. Emphasize individualized responses over generic, preWhich should help us…
4. Work with youth and families to inform the process
And
5. Focus on strengths
And
6. Create lasting educational linkages
And
7. Develop individualized incentives and sanctions
determined requirements
Part II
Incentives and Sanctions
S
Goal-Oriented Incentives and Sanctions
S Strategy Fifteen: “Respond to compliance and
noncompliance with incentives and sanctions that are
designed to reinforce or modify the behavior of youth
and their families”
S Research:
S Gendreau (1999)
S NPC (2006, 2010)
S Henggeler et al., (2006, 2012 (a) (b))
S Salvatore et al., (2010)
Why We Want to Use
Alternatives
Probation/court monitoring, group homes, and correctional
facilities have, at best, only modest favorable effects on subsequent
recidivism. Some studies show negative effects (Lipsey and Cullen,
2007; Petrosino, Turpin-Petrosino, and Guckenburg, 2010).
Why We Want to Use
Alternatives
Deterrence-oriented programs that focus on discipline,
surveillance, or threat of punitive consequences (e.g., prison
visitation Scared Straight–type programs, boot camps, and
intensive probation supervision) have no effect on recidivism
and may actually increase it (Lipsey, 2009).
Because…
“Therapeutic” programs oriented toward facilitating
constructive behavior change have shown very positive
effects—even for serious offenders (Lipsey, 2009; Lipsey and
Cullen, 2007; Lipsey and Wilson, 1998).
Reasons Why JDCs Should
Implement CM
S Theories are based on cognitive behavioral therapy,
which has been proven to work with adolescents, and is
vastly used in outpatient settings
S It can be easily adapted within the JDC
S In their study of six juvenile drug courts, Henggeler et
al (2006) found stronger outcomes for those youth who
received MST AND CM then standard process
Can We Strengthen Our Court
Sessions to Bring About Stronger
Behavior Change?
S What is the purpose of using sanctions in your JDC?
S What is the purpose of using incentives in your JDC?
S What do youth behaviors look like during phase one?
S How do you want them to look by phase four?
Incentives & Sanctions, Continued
S Historical CJ responses vs. modification of behavior through a
coordinated and thoughtful (research informed) process
S Punishment for a “wrong” is not the goal – behavior change is
the goal
S The JDC should use a balance of incentives, sanctions and
treatment responses
Incentives and Sanctions,
continued
S Key components:
S Immediate, certain, fair and of appropriate intensity
S Do not rely solely on standardized “lists”
S Should be proportional and balanced
S Punishment alone is least effective way to change behavior
S Be comfortable in combining incentives and sanctions
S Be cognizant of time
S Perceptions of fairness – it all begins with individualization
S Make sure youth understand their positive and negative reinforcers
Contingency Management
So how do we strengthen the use of CM in
our treatment settings, and utilize the same
methods within our Juvenile Drug Courts?
Point & Level Reward Systems
S Contract
S Reward Menu
S 3 for 3
S Most Valued Privilege
S Checkbook System
Most Valued Privilege
S This is a privilege that the youth values and will work
hard to earn
S Work with the youth and family to determine what the
MVP is, preferably a family-based reward (i.e., video
games, cell phone use, time w/ friends)
S The MVP is given or taken away with each drug screen
S IMPORTANT – youth does not earn points if there is
a positive drug screen but points that have already been
earned are not taken away
(Henggeler et al, p. 107-108)
Make it Transparent
MVP
Sally – Use of cell phone
John – Curfew extension on Saturday night
Mary – Allowed to use Mom’s car on Friday
afternoon
Jack – Ride to school, rather than walk
Checkbook System
S Basic checkbook set up – date; transaction
description; debit/credit; and balance
S Basic personal checks that the youth can draft and use
to purchase items on the reward menu
S Make this very visual and tangible for the youth
S Consider working with a local bank to provide life
skills training on how to keep a checking account
and write checks or to provide free checkbooks
and/or personalized checks
(Henggeler et al, p. 126-127)
3 for 3 Program
2. Bring JTDC
Notebook
1. Pass all UAs
3. Make all
appointments
/ contacts with
case manager
Behavior Contracts
S “Rewards for Responsible Behavior in Other Domains”
(Henggeler et al, p. 131)
S How to target specific behaviors (i.e., school attendance)
S How to add a step-by-step process for the youth to follow
S How to get youth working towards “things” they are
interested in
S How to engage families/guardians in the process
S How to increase communication between the youth and
judge
S And…how to implement these components in your program
Behavioral Contract Example
Goal
Behaviors/
Tasks
Enroll in GED •Call or visit
program
GED center
by xxxxx date
Incentives
Noncompliance
•Praise
Failure to
•Recognition contact by
from Team
XXXX
•Appointment
Calendar
•XXXXXX
Sanction
•Increased
reporting to
PO
•Increase in
curfew
•EM
Recommended Reading
S Contingency Management for Adolescent Substance Abuse: A
Practitioner’s Guide, by: Scott W. Henggeler, Phillippe B.
Cunningham, Melisa D. Rowland, Sonja K. Schoenwald and
Associates
S Making Sense of Incentives and Sanctions in working with the
Substance-Abusing Youth: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
(Juvenile & Family Justice TODAY. 2012, Volume 21, Number 2)
S Enhancing the Effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Courts by Integrating
Evidence-Based Practices (Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology. 2012, Vol. 80, No. 2, 264-275)
Contact Information
Jacqueline van Wormer, Ph.D.
Washington State University
SAC 403A
Spokane, WA
(509) 628-2663 (cell)
[email protected]
[email protected]