NCJ Number
199850
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 210-223
Date Published
April 2003
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the impact on unit management of operating an in-prison therapeutic community.
Abstract
Criminal justice policy has increasingly turned to an emphasis on treating inmates with substance abuse problems. Research has indicated that the use of in-prison therapeutic communities substantially reduces relapse and recidivism among offenders with substance abuse problems. However, scant research has focused on how in-prison therapeutic communities impact prison staff in terms of prison violence and general manageability. The current study focused on the impact on prison management in terms of rates of institutional disorder in a medium- to high-security facility that operated an in-prison therapeutic community. The authors studied institutional disorder by examining the incident reports within the treatment community compared to the incident reports in the general population of the prison. Disorders ranged from less severe rule violations to serious assaults. Overall, the results indicated that levels of disorder within the therapeutic community were significantly lower than levels of disorder among the general, non-treatment prison units. Results also revealed that those inmates residing within the therapeutic community reported more positive perceptions of their environment that inmates within the general prison population. The authors note that their conclusions are limited to the fact that the study involved only one prison; more research in other correctional institutions is required before steadfast conclusions can be made. Tables, references