Therapeutic Communities in Corrections and Work Release: Some Clinical and Policy Considerations

• NCJ Number: 157835
• Author(s): J A Inciardi; D Lockwood; S S Martin; B M Wald
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: University of Delaware
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

The therapeutic community (TC) approach is viewed as a relatively effective approach to drug rehabilitation for prison inmates.

Abstract

The TC provides a total treatment environment isolated from the rest of the prison population and is thus separate from drugs, violence, norms, and values that sometimes impede rehabilitation in the correctional setting. The most appropriate strategy for effective TC intervention with prison inmates involves a three-stage process. Each stage corresponds to the inmate's changing correctional status: primary treatment during incarceration, secondary treatment during work release, and tertiary aftercare during parole. The primary stage should consist of a prison-based TC designed to facilitate personal growth through modifying deviant lifestyles and behavior patterns. TC treatment for prison inmates should begin while they are still institutionalized. The operation of the Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware under a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse is described. 3 references