Effects of Motivation and Problem Severity on Court-Based Drug Treatment

• NCJ Number: 216140
• Journal: Crime & Delinquency Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 599-618
• Author(s): Merith Cosden; Janice E. Basch; Emily Campos; Ashley Greenwell; Sivan Barazani; Sara Walker
• Date Published: October 2006
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the effects of client-stated motivation for drug treatment and severity of drug abuse on treatment program completion and 12-month recidivism in two types of California court-based drug treatment programs: a drug court and a treatment court.

Abstract

The study found that having the skills necessary to function well in the community was more critical for program completion and the prevention of recidivism than a client's motivation to change. Client-reported motivation accounted for only a small proportion of the variance in program completion for the drug court and was not directly associated with recidivism for either program; the lack of motivation did not prevent positive program effects. This may be because the measure of motivation used in the study was not capable of capturing offender attitudes related to behavioral change. Factors related to the offenders' abilities to function well in the community, such as prior employment and incarceration, were predictive of program completion and recidivism. This confirms the findings of other studies of community-based programs. Both the treatment of drug and alcohol problems and the development of employment skills and other independent-living skills are important aspects of programs designed to serve a broad population of drug abusers. Data were collected on 578 offenders served by a drug court and 223 offenders served by a drug treatment court mandated through California's Substance Abuse Crime Prevention Act (SACPA). The drug court was open to individuals with a range of drug-related offenses; however, participation was restricted to those who were also deemed suitable for treatment, which included a measure of client motivation for treatment. The SACPA court was available only to offenders with simple drug possession or drug-use charges, but suitability for treatment was not a requirement for admission. 6 tables and 53 references