Study Drugs

The use of “study drugs”-- prescription medications used illegally by college students improve their academic performance--is on the rise. David Rabiner, PhD, Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University said the drugs of choice are those typically used to treat ADHD. He discussed the question of whether the practice is a form of academic cheating. He added that students who use these medications without a prescription typically have higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse, perform worse academically and are more stressed out about their grades.

Community Service for Juvenile Offenders

Michael Thompson is Director of the Council of State Governments Justice Center .Mr. Thompson’s organization conducted a study that examined whether juveniles who commit crimes fare better if they are sentenced to community-based supervision or state-run incarceration. The study found that youth who are locked up in state-run facilities are 21 percent more likely to be rearrested than those who remain under supervision closer to home. He said that community supervision programs are also far less expensive for taxpayers than state-secure facilities.

Family-Friendly Jobs

Doug Goodman, PhD, MPA Director, Associate Professor of Public Affairs in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas co-authored a study that found that family-friendly employment policies tend to increase productivity of employees in public organizations. He said it appears that these policies reduce stress, and increase job satisfaction and employee loyalty.

David Rabiner

My current work focuses on interventions to improve academic performance in children with attention difficulties and a variety of other issues related to ADHD. I recently completed a study funded by the Department of Education of two different computerized interventions for elementary school students with attention difficulties. Another recently completed study, funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, examined the misuse and abuse of ADHD medications among college students. I also have long standing interests in improving the quality of care received by children with ADHD and in the relationship between children\'s social experience and their social cognitive functioning.

Help For ADD.com

Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson has worked on criminal justice policy issues for nearly 20 years. He started with the Council of State Governments (CSG) in 1997 as a policy analyst and the sole staff person assigned to the criminal justice program for CSG\'s Eastern Regional Conference. Under his leadership, that program launched major projects in the areas of victim rights, criminal justice/mental health collaboration, and prisoner reentry. Since transforming the regional criminal justice program into the national CSG Justice Center, Mike designed the Justice Reinvestment Initiative and conceptualized the organization\'s work in school discipline. The Justice Center\'s work has prompted major policy initiatives that have enjoyed broad bipartisan support in states across the country. A nationally recognized expert in criminal justice issues who is often quoted in major media outlets, Mike has authored numerous publications and testified before Congress on multiple occasions. Prior to joining CSG, Mike worked for three years for the Office of the Court Monitor in San Juan, Puerto Rico—an office established by a U.S. District Court Judge. Mike received his B.A. with Honors from Middlebury College.

Council of State Governments Justice Center