Pretreatment Characteristics and Treatment Performance of Legally Coerced Versus Voluntary Methadone Maintenance Admissions

• NCJ Number: 122647
• Journal: Criminology Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1989) Pages: 537-557
• Author(s): M D Anglin; M L Brecht; E Maddahian
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 21 pages
• Grant Number(s): 86-IJ-CX-0069; DA04268; D-0001-8
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The authors conducted analyses to determine whether addicts coerced into treatment by actions of the criminal justice system differed from voluntary entrants in terms of background characteristics, early risk factors, or drug use and criminal behavior during pretreatment, treatment, and posttreatment periods.

Abstract

Based on the subjects official legal status, related narcotics testing requirements, and their self-reported perceptions of criminal justice system coercion, they were categorized into high, moderate, and low legal coercion groups. Those who entered the treatment program through legal channels had slightly higher rates of serious property offenses and higher proportions of time incarcerated and under legal supervision. They did not, however, differ from voluntary entrants in overall criminal behavior during pretreatment periods. During the treatment all groups showed substantial improvement in level of narcotics use, although after treatment there was some regression. 3 notes, 7 tables, 23 references. (Author abstract modified)