Faculty / Steven Belenko

Steven Belenko, Ph.D. was appointed Professor in the Temple University Department of Criminal Justice in August 2006. Prior to joining the Criminal Justice Department, Dr. Belenko was from 2002 to 2006 a Senior Scientist at the Treatment Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania (TRI), and adjunct Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. From 1997-2002 he was a CASA Fellow at the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University . He has also been a Senior Research Fellow at the New York City Criminal Justice Agency (where he also held positions of Research Director and Acting Executive Director), a senior research associate at the New York City Office of the Mayor and the Vera Institute of Justice, and a research psychologist at Mathematica Policy Research. Dr. Belenko received his B.S. in applied mathematics and Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Columbia University.

Dr. Belenko's primary research interests are in substance abuse and crime, the impact of drugs on the adult and juvenile justice systems, HIV risk behaviors and related service needs for offenders, the integration of treatment and other health services in criminal justice settings, and the implementation of evidence-based practice. His current research projects include: (1) Prevalence and risk factors for sexually transmitted infections among juvenile delinquents; (2) effects of viewing drug-related websites on initiation of marijuana use among adolescents; (3) effects of improved technology on organizational cohesion and collaboration in drug courts; (4) development and testing of brief interventions for delinquents at risk for substance abuse; and (5) improving implementation of evidence-based drug treatment in criminal justice settings.

Dr. Belenko has published numerous articles and book chapters, and is the author of two books: Crack and the Evolution of Antidrug Policy (winner of the American Library Association's Choice Magazine academic book of the year award), and Drugs and Drug Policy in America: A Documentary History.

Recent publications

In press
Vilcica, E.R., Belenko, S., Hiller, M., & Taxman, F.  Exporting court innovation from the United States to continental Europe: Compatibility between the drug court model and the inquisitorial justice system. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice.  In press.

Belenko, S., Dugosh, K., Lynch, K., Mericle, A.A., Pich, M., & Forman, R.  Online illegal drug use information: An exploratory analysis of drug-related website viewing by adolescents.  Journal of Health Communication. In press.

2009

Taxman, F., Henderson, C., & Belenko, S. Organizational context, systems change, and adopting treatment delivery systems in the criminal justice system.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 103S, S1-S6.

Dembo, R., Belenko, S., Childs, K., & Wareham, J, & Schmeidler, J. Individual and community risk factors and sexually transmitted diseases among arrested youths: A two level analysis. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(4), 303-316.

Dembo, R., Belenko, S., Childs, K., & Wareham, J. Drug use and sexually transmitted diseases and drug use among female and male arrested youths. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(2), 129-141.

Belenko, S., Wolff, N., & Holland, N. Improving the Evidence Base: Formative Evaluations of Problem Solving Courts.  New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Behavioral Health Services and Criminal Justice Research, Rutgers University.

Belenko, S. Intervention Fact Sheet: Drug Courts.  New Brunswick, NJ: Center for Behavioral Health Services and Criminal Justice Research, Rutgers University.

Belenko, S., Dembo, R., Rollie, M., Childs, K., & Salvatore, C. Detecting, preventing, and treating sexually transmitted infections among adolescent offenders: An unmet public health need.  American Journal of Public Health, 99(6): 1032-1041.