NCJ Number
180997
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1998 Pages: 28-31
Date Published
September 1998
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents the findings of a meta-analytic review of substance abuse factors and criminal recidivism.
Abstract
The review examined 45 studies that produced 116 effect sizes with recidivism. Overall, the meta-analysis generated a weighted mean effect size of .10. The predictor category of combined alcohol and/or drug problem yielded the highest mean effect size, followed by the predictor categories of drug abuse problem, parental substance abuse, and alcohol abuse problem. Based on this review, recommendations focus on streamlining the substance abuse domain of the Case Needs Identification and Analysis (CNIA) component of the Offender Intake Assessment (OIA) process. First, as noted by other reviewers of the CNIA, it is questionable whether 29 indicators are necessary when similar protocols based on fewer items produce equally impressive results; therefore, the removal of empirically weak indicators and the combining of similar items should be considered. Including detailed instructions with each indicator might also be beneficial. These instructions should be clearly defined and have concrete scoring guidelines to guarantee consistent ratings. Regardless, the substance abuse domain of the CNIA and its various components have shown a moderate to strong relationship with criminal recidivism. 2 tables and 10 references