NCJ Number
54352
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE MARIN COUNTY, CALIF., TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC) PROGRAM, A DIVERSIONARY DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM, WAS EVALUATED IN 1973-1974, AND THE EVALUATION RESULTS ARE REPORTED.
Abstract
TASC WAS DEVELOPED TO IDENTIFY DRUG ABUSERS SHORTLY AFTER THEIR ARREST AND REFER THEM TO APPROPRIATE TREATMENT MODALITIES. THE PROGRAM USES THE LEVERAGE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO MOVE ARRESTED ADDICTS INTO TREATMENT, WITH THE AIM OF ACHIEVING THE FOLLOWING GOALS: TO REDUCE DRUG ABUSE AND ADDICTION, TO REDUCE DRUG-RELATED CRIME, TO INCREASE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, AND TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT LEVEL. THE TASC PROGRAM CONSISTS OF THREE COMPONENTS: (1) THE CORE TREATMENT PROGRAM, (2) THE DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND (3) THE VOLUNTEER WORK PROGRAM. THE EVALUATION OF THE CORE PROGRAM IS GIVEN MAJOR ATTENTION, WHILE RESULTS OF EVALUATIONS OF THE OTHER TWO PROGRAM COMPONENTS ARE BRIEFLY SUMMARIZED. IN EVALUATING THE CORE PROGRAM, 80 CLIENT SHEETS WERE RANDOMLY DRAWN FROM 150 CLIENTS SEEN BETWEEN OCTOBER 1, 1973, AND DECEMBER 30, 1974. OF THE 80, ONLY 7 HAD COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. ARREST DATA SHOWED THAT OVER 90 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE HAD NO REARRESTS, WHETHER THEY HAD COMPLETED TREATMENT, WERE CURRENTLY IN TREATMENT, OR HAD DROPPED TREATMENT. THIS IS DEEMED TO BE A SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER RECIDIVISM RECORD THAN THAT OF OFFENDERS INCARCERATED FOR DRUG-RELATED CRIMES. IN EXAMINING IMPROVEMENT IN EDUCATIONAL LEVELS OR TASC CLIENTS, IT IS TENTATIVELY CONCLUDED THAT NO CHANGES OCCURRED. IN EXAMINING THE EMPLOYMENT RECORDS OF THE SUBJECTS, IT WAS FOUND THAT THOSE IN TREATMENT AND HAVING COMPLETED TREATMENT SHOWED A WORKING RECORD OF BETWEEN 11 AND 12 MONTHS, WHILE THOSE WHO DROPPED TREATMENT HAD AN EMPLOYMENT OF LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. THE SUMMARIES OF THE DIVERSION AND VOLUNTEER WORK ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT REPORT DEGREES OF SUCCESS. NO SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)