Incorporating an Afrocentric Approach into the Criminal Justice System: The Voices of Men Who Attend the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) Program.

Abstract

Purpose: Treatment courts, such as drug court, have been part of the criminal justice system since 1989. While treatment courts have played an important role in justice reform, they have also been plagued by inequities where programs tend to be more effective for White participants than African Americans.

Materials and methods: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study to explore the experiences of African American men (n = 11) who are in treatment courts and participate in the Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) program. HEAT is a curriculum-based therapy that addresses Afrocentric topics, such as racial trauma.

Results: Three themes emerged from the data: (1) Limiting the amount of clinical information shared from HEAT to treatment court increases participant honesty, engagement, and satisfaction with counseling; (2) Appreciating an Afrocentric approach to support substance use disorder recovery; and (3) Expanding Afrocentrism in the criminal justice system to promote equality in treatment court outcomes.

Discussion: Positive outcomes seem to be associated with integrating practices that contribute to safety and trust, such as limiting disclosure between counselors and courts, incorporating Afrocentric approaches into substance use disorder treatment, and creating a therapeutic environment that is person-centered and free from stigmatizing language.

Conclusion: Implications for future research and treatment court practice are discussed, particularly around revisiting how substance use disorder counselors share information with treatment court and the importance of Afrocentric training for treatment court professionals.