A 10-year follow-up evaluation of the Turning Point Program for treating chronic drunk drivers focused on whether the treatment effect revealed in previous analyses was still present and, if so, whether it had continued to decrease in magnitude or had rebounded in strength.
The Turning Point Program of Talbert House, Inc., focuses on treating and educating chronic drunk drivers. The program combines cognitive and behavioral modalities and includes an aftercare component to address principles of risk, criminogenic needs, and services tailored to the skills of the individual offenders. The evaluations focused on individuals assigned to experimental and control groups in Hamilton County (Ohio) in 1988 and 1989. Previous analyses revealed moderate to substantial treatment effects over 1-year and 4-year follow-up periods, although the treatment effect seemed to diminish in strength with the longer follow-up period. Results of the 10-year follow-up outcome evaluation of the original Turning Point cohort of 531 persons and the original comparison group of 192 cases indicated a stronger and more stable treatment effect than in the previous analysis. Findings indicated that correctional policymakers and treatment planners should model new treatment programs after the approach taken by Turning Point and to modify existing programs to be at least somewhat congruent with its format. Figures, tables, notes, and 23 references (Author abstract modified)