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
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.
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.