NCJ Number
220586
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: 2007 Pages: 225-233
Date Published
2007
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined what is most effective in treating offenders for substance abuse in England and Wales, based on Pearson and Lipton's (1999) meta-analysis of substance-use treatment evaluations in correctional settings.
Abstract
Interventions identified as ineffective were boot camps and group counseling. Evidence was strongest for the effectiveness of therapeutic communities and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Maintenance prescriptions for heroin-addicted offenders, especially when combined with psychological treatment, have shown promise. Arrest-referral schemes, court-mandated drug rehabilitation, and drug courts can be effective, but improvements in interagency cooperation are required. There is evidence that treatment for substance abuse in correctional settings can reduce reoffending, so resources should be committed to improving interventions based on empirical evaluations. This should result in improving treatment completion rates; the development of programs that serve offenders involved in specific drug-related and alcohol-related offenses; and the use of programs that match the needs of specific offender groups. Pearson and Lipton's project--entitled, Correctional Drug Abuse Treatment Effectiveness project--examined drug treatment evaluations published between 1968 and 1996. 37 references