"The Other Way" Program Evaluation

• NCJ Number: 183646
• Author(s): Remi J. Cadoret M.D.; Anita M. Patterson MSW; Sarah Barten M.A.; Christopher Richards M.A.
• Date Published: March 1999
• Length: 83 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-RT-VX-K009
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

This report describes the methodology and findings of a process evaluation of "The Other Way" (TOW), an intensive residential substance abuse treatment program housed at the Clarinda Correctional Facility in Clarinda, Iowa.

Abstract

The program currently employs 15 full-time counselors to provide comprehensive substance abuse treatment services on three dedicated treatment units with 240 treatment beds. The program operates as a three-phase, 6-month modified therapeutic community within a medium-security correctional facility. It focuses on identifying the causes of the inmates' addictive behaviors and encourages changes in unacceptable behaviors and criminal thinking. The objectives of the evaluation were to develop a system to evaluate the impact the program has had on inmates who have completed it; construct an instrument package to measure change on variables of interest; develop a procedure for collecting relevant data at intake, discharge, and 6-month follow-up points; and act as a technical assistant for the development and implementation of the evaluation. This report covers the period January 1998 through March 1999. The primary evaluation sample consisted of adult male inmates of the TOW program. Data were collected from the inmates through a series of standardized instruments that consisted of a semi-structured interview (the Addiction Severity Index) and several self-administered questionnaires. In its current form, the TOW Program began admitting inmates on April 18, 1997; a total of 736 inmates have participated as of December 30, 1998. The data analysis in this report examines the number of instruments given, the demographic breakdown of TOW subjects, the criminal history of TOW subjects, substance use patterns of TOW subjects, TOW subject satisfaction with the TOW program, and the discussion of outcome analysis and implications. Regarding TOW participant satisfaction, 58 percent were "very satisfied" with the treatment, and 34 percent were "satisfied." The treatment areas that were reported to be the most helpful were assignments (95 percent), therapy groups (84 percent), lectures/videos (83 percent), individual counseling (82 percent), staff interaction (67 percent), and peer interaction (53 percent). The following types of data will be collected during the second half of this evaluation: scale scores and pretest to posttest changes, recidivism sweep, and subject interviews. 5 tables, appended study instruments, and sample program materials