NCJ Number
156821
Journal
American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (1979) Pages: 253-271
Date Published
1979
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Followup data on 202 male dropouts of the Phoenix House program in New York City were examined to determine rates of criminal activity 5 years after treatment.
Abstract
The participants were mainly heroin abusers who had been out of treatment for 3-6 years. The average followup period was 4.7 years. They were admitted to Phoenix House in 1970-71. They were sampled by race and time in program, which ranged from less than 1 month to more than 2 yeras. Criminal justice arrest records were compared between 3 pretreatment years and all posttreatment years. Results revealed that the percent and rate of arrest declined significantly in the followup. The magnitude of the reductions was uniform across race and legal status, varied by age, but increased systematically according to the time in the program. The results replicated and extended earlier findings, confirming long-term positive change in criminal behavior associated with the length of stay in the therapeutic community. Figures, tables, and 18 references (Author abstract modified)