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Sociology and Criminology & Law College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Recent Research Projects

  • Bureau of Justice Assistance funded evaluation of Marion County (FL) Diversion Drug Court, Study 2 (Award Number: lSPBJA-24-GG-03923-DGCT) (10/1/2024-9/30/2028)

This project is a new grant award in which Elizabeth Hartsell (Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University) and I continue to evaluate the process and results of the Marion County (FL) Diversion Drug Court, as it continues to improve and adjust its practices toward meeting national and state Best Practices. Data efforts include: observations of staff meetings and court hearings, surveys of participants and staff, and analysis of a treatment auditing tool conducted by staff as well as official records of in program and post program experiences.

  • Bureau of Justice Assistance funded process evaluation of the Marion County (FL) Diversion Drug Court (Award Number: 2020-DC-BX-0148) (10/1/2020-9/30/2023)

In this project, Elizabeth Hartsell (Assistant Professor, Sam Houston State University), McKenzie Jossie (Assistant Professor, Louisiana State University) and I collected data on the delivery of the Marion County Diversion Drug Court. Data collection efforts included:  observations of staff case reviews and drug court sessions, interviews with clients and staff, and analysis of official records.

Related Publications

Hartsell, Elizabeth* and Jodi Lane. (forthcoming, 2027). “How Drug Court Practitioners and Researchers Adapted for an Ever-Evolving Landscape: Lessons for Developing Courts.” In Ebony Ruhland, Julie Baldwin, Jodi Lane and Ashley Nellis (Eds), Collaborating Across Differences in Sentencing and Corrections: Process and Outcomes, Routledge.   

Hartsell, Elizabeth N.*, & Jodi Lane. (Accepted April 25, 2025; online first). “Sex Differences in Predictors of Intermediate Outcomes in a Diversion Drug Court.”  Journal of Drug Issues. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426251341203

Hartsell, Elizabeth N.,* McKenzie L. Jossie,* and Jodi Lane. (2024). “‘People, Places, and Things’: Understanding the Context of Participants’ Lives in a Diversion Drug Court.” Criminal Justice & Behavior 51/10: 1511-1529.  https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241257606

Hartsell, Elizabeth N.*, & Jodi Lane. (2024).  “Assessing Individual Level Predictors of Intermediate Outcomes in a Misdemeanor Diversion Drug Court.” American Journal of Criminal Justice 49: 304-327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-023-09749-1

Hartsell, Elizabeth, Jodi Lane, and Saman Valiani.  (2023). “Life Events and Other Stressors of Diversion Drug Court Participants: An Exploratory Analysis of Race and Gender Differences.” Drug Court Review (Fall): 1-23. https://dcr.ndcrc.org/index.php/dcr

Hartsell, Elizabeth and Jodi Lane. (2022). “Initial Lessons Learned During a Remote Drug Court Evaluation During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Crime and Justice 45(5): 627-645.  Published online March 6, 2022.  https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2022.2047100

  • Fear of Crime Survey (collected via MTurk in 2021)

In this project, I am examining predictors of fear of crime in the current political and social landscape.