NCJ Number
14592
Date Published
1973
Length
163 pages
Annotation
PROGRAM AIMED AT REMOVING EX-ADDICTS FROM WELFARE ROLLS BY PROVIDING GROUP WORK SITUATIONS, ON-JOB ORIENTATION AND TRAINING, GRADUATED PERFORMANCE DEMANDS, CLOSE SUPERVISION AND FEEDBACK IN A LOW STRESS ENVIRONMENT.
Abstract
TO ASSESS THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM ON VARIOUS TYPES OF EX-ADDICT PARTICIPANTS IN A VARIETY OF WORK SITUATIONS, A CONTROLLED STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON 300 SUPPORTED WORK EMPLOYEES AND 300 CONTROLS. TWO QUALIFIED APPLICANTS WERE IDENTIFIED FOR EACH JOB OPENING AND WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED EITHER TO AN EXPERIMENTAL OR A CONTROL GROUP. CONTROL GROUP MEMBERS WERE LEFT TO FIND THEIR OWN JOBS. BOTH GROUPS WERE INTERVIEWED BI-MONTHLY. ADDITIONAL DATA WAS OBTAINED FROM POLICE AND WELFARE RECORDS AND REPORTS FROM EMPLOYERS AND ADDICTION TREATMENT AGENCIES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT AFTER ONE YEAR, 66 PERCENT OF THOSE AIRED ARE STILL EMPLOYED. EIGHT PER CENT LEFT FOR BETTER JOBS OR SCHOOLING. EXPERIMENTALS WERE EMPLOYED FOR 82 PERCENT OF THE FIRST SIX MONTHS COMPARED TO 18 PERCENT FOR THE CONTROLS. THE ARREST RATE FOR EXPERIMENTALS WAS HALF THAT FOR CONTROLS. TWO TYPES OF COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS WERE PERFORMED. THE SOCIAL COST-BENEFIT-ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE PROGRAMS SOCIAL BENEFIT IN THIS FIRST YEAR WAS 1.4 TIMES GREATER THAN THE COST. THE TAXPAYER COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE PROGRAM DOES NOT CAUSE A SUBSTANTIAL REDISTRIBUTION OF INCOME. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM IS VALUABLE IN HELPING TO BREAK THE ADDICT'S STREET-PRISON-STREET CYCLE.