| Employment has been identified as an important factor in decreasing drug use and crime among substance abusers (Platt, 1995). Mental health has been shown to be a correlate of several employment-related issues. Limited research has focused on employment and mental health in rural criminal justice samples. The purpose of this paper is to profile employment and mental health histories for a sample of drug-involved offenders from the rural state of Kentucky. As part of the NIDA-funded Enhancing Drug Court Retention in a Rural State project, 500 drug court participants completed a face-to-face interview during which employment and mental health histories were collected. Implications for assessment practices and vocational-rehabilitation programs are discussed. |
Updated 05/20/2006