An Evaluation of Nevada's Gambling Treatment Diversion Court

Session Title

Session 3-4-A: Problem Gambling and Crime

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation

Location

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Start Date

25-5-2023 3:30 PM

End Date

25-5-2023 5:00 PM

Disciplines

Courts | Criminal Law | Criminology | Criminology and Criminal Justice

Abstract

Although problem-solving courts have been in existence for over three decades, it was not until 2019 that a gambling treatment diversion court was established in Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada — at the time, the only specialty court in the world for people accused of gambling-motivated crimes. This research presents findings from a process evaluation of the Clark County Gambling Treatment Diversion Court. Through observations of staffing meetings and court sessions, document review, and interviews with the courtroom workgroup, participants, and the courts’ founding members, I thoroughly document how the court functions, outline its successes, and provide recommendations for program improvement. Additionally, I discuss recommendations for other jurisdictions that may be considering starting similar programs. I conclude with an exploration of how the Clark County Gambling Treatment Diversion Court compares to other problem-solving courts and the traditional problem-solving court model.

Keywords

Crime, Diversion, Gambling-Motivated Crime, Court, Problem Gambling, Treatment

Author Bios

Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at East Carolina University. She received a Bachelor's degree in sociology from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a Juris Doctorate degree from Northeastern University School of Law, and her Master's and Doctorate degrees in criminal justice from Michigan State University. Dr. Malkin's research interests include a focus on problem gambling and gambling-motivated crime. In 2018, she received a research fellowship for her research on women and gambling-motivated crime from the Center for Gaming Studies at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her dissertation on the Problem Gambling, General Strain Theory and Gender received the 2022 Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award from the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Funding Sources

Research for this evaluation was funded in part by a grant from the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. The funding body provided space to the researcher in order to conduct interviews with research participants. The funding body had no involvement in the development of the research, research conduct, or analysis/conclusions of results.

Competing Interests

The author has received honorariums as a keynote speaker and workshop trainer to share her personal experience and research, including findings from the project referred to in this abstract, at problem gambling conferences within the U.S. These speaking engagements have no influence on the interpretations/outcomes of the research being presented.

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May 25th, 3:30 PM May 25th, 5:00 PM

An Evaluation of Nevada's Gambling Treatment Diversion Court

Park MGM, Las Vegas, NV

Although problem-solving courts have been in existence for over three decades, it was not until 2019 that a gambling treatment diversion court was established in Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada — at the time, the only specialty court in the world for people accused of gambling-motivated crimes. This research presents findings from a process evaluation of the Clark County Gambling Treatment Diversion Court. Through observations of staffing meetings and court sessions, document review, and interviews with the courtroom workgroup, participants, and the courts’ founding members, I thoroughly document how the court functions, outline its successes, and provide recommendations for program improvement. Additionally, I discuss recommendations for other jurisdictions that may be considering starting similar programs. I conclude with an exploration of how the Clark County Gambling Treatment Diversion Court compares to other problem-solving courts and the traditional problem-solving court model.