Knox Recovery Court participated in an evaluation sponsored by the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP). In 2008, OCJP extended invitations for Tennessee's drug courts to apply for the opportunity to be evaluated by this project. OCJP selected Performance Vistas, Inc. of Florida to conduct the evaluation. Criteria for the selection process was that the drug court needed to be operational for at least 5 years, that it be certified by OCJP (see Certification page on this website), and have an extensive computer database.

Three drug recovery courts were selected: the Greene County Drug Court, Sumner County Drug Court and Knox Recovery Court. The evaluation began for the Drug Recovery Courts with site visits late in 2008 by Dr. Richard Grimm and Ashley Self. First and foremost were the assurances that information provided to Performance Vistas would be handled in a manor consistent with state and federal confidentiality regulations, ensuring that participants and their personal information would be treated with dignity and confidentiality. Part of the evaluation project was intended to draw state-wide implications for Tennessee drug recovery courts to use in program implementation and program improvements.

Another aspect of the project looked at the cost of operating drug recovery courts vs. some of the many gains of taking addicted offenders, providing treatment and other services, then reintroducing the recovering addict back into society as a drug-free contributing member of society. On June 27, 2011 a presentation was made in Nashville outlining the state-wide implications of the project as well as unveiling the cost benefit analysis tool. On June 30, 2011 the evaluation was officially concluded.

The evaluation report on this website is the final report from Dr. Grimm, presented to OCJP and the participating drug recovery courts. OCJP posted the evaluation report on the following website early in August; (please be patient, the file is large and takes a while to load)

OCJP State Wide Evaluation