NCJ Number
225949
Date Published
October 2008
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study examined current issues concerning mandatory drug and alcohol treatment effectiveness for offenders in Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
Findings of this study are similar to the general research outcomes found by many other studies in the field; results do not support the “hitting rock bottom” phenomenon. Though respondents with more serious drug or alcohol abuse problems showed more recognition of their problem and were more likely to acknowledge that they needed help to change, they did not outperform respondents who used drugs or alcohol less frequently and were more ambivalent about their treatment needs. Also not found was a significant relationship between respondents’ legal status (mandatory versus voluntary) and their treatment outcomes. The qualitative data suggest that apart from severity of drug addiction and legal status, there are many other factors that may prevent respondents from entering into treatment and achieving positive outcomes. These factors are largely related to the availability of welfare ad support services and the quality of treatment programs and program staff. Data were collected from 480 offenders serving either intensive correction orders or probation orders under Queensland Corrective Service's 25 urban and rural area offices between 2003 and 2004. Tables, figures, appendix, and references