NCJ Number
149419
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper provides a preliminary review of return rates for veterans who participated in a Veterans' Program at Groveland or Mt. McGregor correctional institutions in New York State.
Abstract
The Veterans' Program at Groveland began October 1989 with a group of 30 men. The program has expanded to a capacity to serve 63 men. The Mt. McGregor program began in August 1987 and has a capacity for 36 participants. Although the programs are not identical, they both operate as therapeutic communities. The inmates live, work, and participate in treatment activities together. The communities are designed to provide an atmosphere where veterans can address issues in a supportive environment with other veterans. The programs address issues such as post traumatic stress disorder, chemical dependency, anger and aggression, and stress management. For this study, Groveland provided 151 cases, and Mt. McGregor provided 238 cases. These 389 cases were compared to release files to determine the number of the sample who had a release from custody that occurred after their program end date. A total of 209 were released after participating in one of the programs. Veterans who participated in one of the programs for a minimum of 6 months had a significantly lower rate of return to custody than veterans with less than 6 months program experience and those veterans with no program experience. A table shows the cumulative rates of return for the various populations at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months.