CATCH Court: Changing Actions to Change Habits—A Preliminary Evaluation Study

Author: Miner-Romanoff, Karen

Abstract: This preliminary evaluation study reports on the Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH) specialized docket in Franklin County, Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2009 for human-trafficking victims, including victims of sexual exploitation, CATCH blends punitive sentences with a 2-year treatment-oriented nonadversarial program for participants with multiple services for physical and psychological problems. From 2009 to 2013, CATCH served 130 participants (12% graduation rate). In this mixed-method study, data were collected from court records, a participant survey, and participant focus group. The five quantitative goals and objectives were partially met. Program completers had fewer jail days, arrests, and recidivism and had improved employment/volunteer/educational status than noncompleters with statistically significant lower recidivism for completers. Qualitative analysis revealed one major theme regarding the program, “It Works!” and eight subthemes: Caring, Support, No Judgments, Growing Self-Esteem, Physical and Emotional Help, Improved Family Relationships, Hope: From Victim to Victor, and Life Saving. Correspondences were evident in the quantitative survey and qualitative findings. Recommendations for further research include more frequent and discrete court data collection, larger sample sizes, and additional individual in-depth interviews. The success of the CATCH program to date supports its use as a model for similar courts in Ohio and nationally.

Keywords: evaluation, human trafficking, problem-solving court, prostitution, rehabilitation, specialized docket, therapeutic jurisprudence