NCJ Number
217141
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 19-23
Date Published
June 2006
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents results of evaluation research on the Correctional Service of Canada’s standardized substance abuse assessment: the Computerized Assessment of Substance Abuse (CASA).
Abstract
Overall, the CASA accurately differentiated offenders by their substance abuse severity level and was thus effective at providing referrals to appropriate levels of substance abuse treatment. Results indicated that offenders who were rated by the CASA as having severe substance abuse problems were also more likely to have higher need ratings and criminal-risk ratings on the Offender Intake Assessment (OIA) and the Revised Statistical Information on Recidivism Scale (SIR-R1). Offenders who used cocaine, crack cocaine, and opioids were more likely to score higher on the CASA than were offenders who used cannabis or other drugs. Other findings revealed that offenders who were rated by the CASA as having severe substance abuse problems were more likely than other offenders to have experienced instability in their personal lives. The survey results, when combined with results from the OIA and the SIR-R1, verified the significant link between substance abuse and criminal behavior. Researchers examined the CASA responses of 907 male offenders who completed the computerized survey during intake between May 2002 and January 2004. The CASA is a 288-item, self-administered computerized survey that measures the nature and severity of an offender’s substance abuse problems. The CASA includes computer-controlled question flow and automated data checking capabilities. Future research should focus on refining the CASA. 1 table, 4 figures, and 11 notes