Five-Year Outcomes of Therapeutic Community Treatment of Drug-Involved Offenders after Release from Prison

• Published in: Crime and delinquency Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 88 - 107
• Main Authors: Inciardi, James A., MartIn, Steven S., ButzIn, Clifford A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York SAGE Publications 01-01-2004; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Comparative Analysis; Correctional Institutions; Crime; Criminality; Criminals; Criminology; Delaware; Dropouts; Drug Abuse; Drug abusers; Drug Offenders; Drug Rehabilitation; Drug Use; Followup studies; Group therapy; Medical treatment; Offenders; Outcomes of Treatment; Prisoner rehabilitation; Prisoners; Prisons; Probability; Psychotherapy; Recidivism; Residential Institutions; Residential treatment; Substance Abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Therapeutic communities; Therapeutic Environment; Treatment Outcomes; Treatment Programs; USA; Work release programmes; Delaware; therapeutic communities; recidivism; substance abuse; treatment outcome; prison
• ISSN: 0011-1287; 1552-387X
• DOI: 10.1177/0011128703258874

With growing numbers of drug-involved offenders, substance abuse treatment has become a critical part of corrections. A multistage therapeutic community implemented in the Delaware correctional system has as its centerpiece a residential treatment program during work release—the transition between prison and community. An evaluation of this program followed 690 individuals. At 5 years, those who participated in the program were significantly more likely to be drug and arrest free. Furthermore, treatment graduates with or without aftercare had significantly greater probabilities of remaining both arrest free and drug free than did ano treatment comparison group in regular work release. Dropouts also were significantly more likely to be drug free, although not significantly less likely to have a new arrest than those without treatment. These data show that the implementation of such programs could bring about significant reductions in both drug use and drug-related crime.