TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC) - HOW WELL DOES IT WORK? (FROM CRITICAL CONCERNS IN THE FIELD OF DRUG ABUSE - PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRD NATIONAL DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE, INC, 1978)

• NCJ Number: 54357
• Author(s): M A TOBORG; R H MILKMAN; L J CENTER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 5 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0062
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Marcel Dekker, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW YORK (NY), 1976

Annotation

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF TASC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE NATION ARE OUTLINED, AND GENERAL EVALUATION FINDINGS ARE CONSIDERD.

Abstract

TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES TO STREET CRIME (TASC) IS A NATIONWIDE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE TREATMENT SERVICES TO DRUG ABUSERS CONTACTING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. BEGUN IN 1972 UNDER THE IMPETUS OF FEDERAL FUNDING AND ASSISTANCE, A TOTAL OF 36 PROJECTS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BY OCTOBER 1975. THE INFORMATION ON THESE PROGRAMS REPORTED HERE WAS OBTAINED THROUGH A REVIEW OF EXISTING LITERATURE AND WORK IN PROGRESS, TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH THE 22 TASC PROJECTS OPERATIONAL AS OF FEBRUARY 1975, AND SITE VISITS TO 10 PROJECTS. ALTHOUGH DIFFERING IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, THE PROJECTS HAD THESE COMMON OPERATIONS: IDENTIFYING DRUG ABUSERS CONTACTING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND OFFERING THOSE ELIGIBLE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR TREATMENT; DIAGNOSING CLIENTS' PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDING APPROPRIATE TREATMENT; MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF CLIENTS AND RETURNING VIOLATORS OF CONDITIONS TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM; PROVIDING HELPING SERVICES TO CLIENTS; AND MANAGING THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH AND EVALUATION STUDIES. IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT EVALUATION RESULTS FROM EACH PROJECT DO NOT ALLOW FOR COMPARABILITY; HOWEVER, RECURRING FINDINGS ARE THESE: URINALYSIS IS NOT ESSENTIAL FOR IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL CLIENTS; TASC'S FORMALIZED MECHANISM FOR REFERRAL IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN INFORMAL REFERRAL PROCEDURES; THE MONITORING OF CLIENTS APPARENTLY IMPROVES THEIR PERFORMANCE; AND THE MONITORING OF CLIENTS ENHANCES TASC'S CREDIBILITY WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE LACK OF DATA ON CLIENT OUTCOMES AFTER COMPLETION OF THE TASC PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY AS COMPARED WITH OTHERWISE SIMILAR GROUPS OF NONPARTICIPANTS, PRECLUDES DEFENSIBLE STATEMENTS REGARDING TASC'S LONG-RANGE IMPACT ON DRUG-RELATED CRIME OR THE ASSOCIATED PROCESSING BURDENS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. (RCB)