Data Digest: Issue 4 – Treatment Court Counts

ISSUE 4

Treatment Court Counts

Each year the National Treatment Court Resource Center (NTCRC) conducts a census of treatment courts across the United States and territories. The treatment court count is provided by the statewide/territory coordinators and is parceled out by court type. This issue of the Data Digest presents year-to-year trends regarding the number of operational treatment court programs for 2019 to 2024.1 Overall, the number of treatment courts across the United States has increased each year since 2019 (see Figure 1). The total number of treatment courts serving adults and juveniles in 2019 was 3,747. However, by year-end 2024, this number increased to 4,276, representing a 14% overall increase in the number of operational treatment courts during this time period.

Figure 1: Total Number of Programs by Year (2019–2024)

The number of treatment courts serving adults and juveniles increased by 14% between 2019 and 2024.

1 It should be noted that in some years data was not received from all states and thus, the numbers may represent an undercount of treatment courts.

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Adult Programs Treatment court programs serving adults have continued to grow in number over the last several years.

In 2019, a total of 3,391 adult programs were in operation in jurisdictions across the United States and territories. This number steadily increased to 3,960 by the end of 2024. Overall, programs serving adult populations increased by 17% between 2019 and 2024 (see Figure 2). What follows is an overview of each adult treatment court type.

Figure 2: Total Number of Adult Programs by Year (2019–2024)

Treatment court programs serving adult populations increased by 17% between 2019 and 2024.

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Adult Drug Court (ADC) At the end of 2019, there were 1,697 operational ADCs across the United States. Although the number of ADCs declined slightly between 2021 and 2023, falling from 1,834 to 1,826, there has been an overall upward trend in the number of these courts. By year-end 2024, the total number of operational ADCs had risen to 1,868, reflecting a net increase of approximately 10% between 2019 and 2024 (see Figure 3). It should be noted that ADCs classified as hybrid drug/DUI programs are also included in the numbers in Figure 4. These programs enroll individuals that satisfy the requirements for ADC and DUI/DWI in one program.

Figure 3: Number of Adult Drug Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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DUI/DWI Court As shown in Figure 4, there were 257 DUI/DWI courts operating across the United States and territories at year-end 2019. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of these programs grew by 25%, reaching 320 courts by the end of 2022. However, between 2022 and 2024, this number declined by 8%, dropping to 295 operational DUI/DWI courts by year-end 2024. Despite this recent decrease, the number of DUI/DWI courts increased 15% between 2019 and 2024, reflecting an overall net growth in these specialized programs.

Figure 4: Number of DUI/DWI Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Co-Occurring Disorder (COD) Court At the end of 2019, there were 21 operational COD courts in the United States and territories. By year-end 2020, that number had surged by 253% to 74 courts (see Figure 5). However, between 2020 and 2021, the total declined sharply, falling by 62% to 28 operational programs. Since then, the number of COD courts has steadily increased, reaching 42 by the end of 2024. Overall, this reflects a 100% net increase in COD courts nationwide between 2019 and 2024.

Figure 5: Number of Co-Occurring Disorder Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Family Treatment Court (FTC) As shown in Figure 6, there were 335 operational FTCs across the United States at the end of 2019. Although this number declined slightly to 317 in 2020, FTCs have experienced consistent growth in subsequent years.

By year-end 2024, the total number of operational FTCs reached 406, representing a 21% increase between 2019 and 2024.

Figure 6: Number of Family Treatment Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Mental Health Court (MHC) At year-end 2019, 490 MHCs were operational and by the end of 2022, that number had increased by 26%, reaching 618 courts. This steady upward trend has continued in recent years, with 679 MHCs in operation at year-end 2024, a 39% increase in MHCs over this time period (see Figure 7).

Figure 7: Number of Mental Health Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

As of 2024, the number of mental health courts increased to 679, representing a 39% increase from 2019.

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Opioid Court By the end of 2019, just 24 opioid court programs were operating across the United States. However, that number rose to 37 courts by 2022, equating to a 54% increase in just three years. Since then, growth has slowed. By the end of 2024, there were 34 operational opioid courts, marking a slight decrease in this court type since 2022 (see Figure 8). Still, between 2019 and 2024, the total number of opioid courts increased by 42%, reflecting an overall net increase in this court type.

Figure 8: Number of Opioid Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Reentry Drug Court As displayed in Figure 9, the number of operational adult reentry drug courts has fluctuated between 2019 and 2024. At the end of 2019, there were 87 courts in operation. The number of these courts dropped to 59 by 2021, experienced a brief uptick to 63 in 2022, but declined again to 52 courts by year-end 2024. Thus, between 2019 and 2024, the number of operational adult reentry drug courts decreased by 40%.

Figure 9: Number of Reentry Drug Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) As can be seen in Figure 10, VTCs have experienced consistent expansion over the last several years. At the end of 2019, there were 480 VTCs operating nationwide. That number rose to 537 in 2022 and continued climbing to 584 courts at year-end 2024. This represents a 22% increase between 2019 and 2024, indicating sustained support for specialized court programs serving justice-involved veterans.

Figure 10: Number of Veterans Treatment Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

The number of veterans treatment courts increased 22% from 2019 to 2024.

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Juvenile Programs In contrast to adult programs, treatment court programs serving juvenile populations have decreased in number over the last several years. In 2019, there were a total of 356 juvenile programs in operation.

The number of programs serving juveniles increased slightly to 364 in 2020, but by the end of 2024, the total number of juvenile programs had fallen again to 316. Overall, programs serving juvenile populations decreased by 11% between 2019 and 2024 (see Figure 11). The following sections provide an overview of each juvenile treatment court type.

Figure 11: Total Number of Juvenile Programs by Year (2019–2024)

Treatment court programs serving juvenile populations decreased by 11% between 2019 and 2024.

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Juvenile Drug Treatment Court (JDTC) As shown in Figure 12, 305 JDTCs were operating across the United States and territories in 2019. By 2022, that number had dropped to 265, representing a 13% decrease in three years. This downward trend has continued, with 256 courts active by the end of 2024. These figures reflect a steady reduction in the number of JDTCs nationwide, with this court type experiencing a net decrease of 16% between 2019 and 2024.

Figure 12: Number of Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Juvenile Co-Occurring Disorder (JCOD) Court Between 2019 and 2024, the number of JCOD programs experienced notable fluctuations (see Figure 13).

The count more than doubled from 5 to 11 between 2019 and 2020, marking a 120% increase. However, this surge was followed by a 36% drop in JCOD programs in 2021, bringing the total down from 11 to 7.

In 2022, the number increased to 11, only to decline again over the following years. More specifically, the number of JCOD programs fell to 9 in 2023 and to 7 in 2024. Thus, despite the number of JCOD programs increasing slightly overall between 2019 and 2024, this positive trend was not linear, marked by slight rises and repeated declines over the last several years.

Figure 13: Number of Juvenile Co-Occurring Disorder Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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Juvenile Mental Health Court (JMHC) As displayed in Figure 14, at the end of 2019, 46 JMHCs were operating across the United States. That number climbed to 61 by the end of 2022, reflecting a 33% growth over the three-year span. However, by the end of 2024, the total had dropped to 51, representing a 16% decrease from the 2022 peak. Still, compared to 2019, the number of JMHCs in 2024 remains 11% higher, highlighting a nonlinear pattern of growth for this court type.

Figure 14: Number of Juvenile Mental Health Court Programs by Year (2019–2024)

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