NCJ Number
181900
Date Published
April 2000
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video of a National Institute of Justice Research in Progress Seminar (April 13, 2000) describes the planning, protocol, and first year's evaluation of Maryland's Break the Cycle Project (BTC), which combines sanctions and treatment for drug involved offenders.
Abstract
Based on research findings, BTC was initiated out of the belief that hardcore addicts are responsible for a significant percentage of drug consumption and drug-related crime. Further, the program's protocol was devised from research findings that show cognitive-behavioral therapies and therapeutic communities to be effective in reducing drug use. A key component of BTC is drug testing of all convicted offenders whose sentence is 6 months or more. For those assigned to BTC, drug testing is initially conducted twice weekly, with the frequency of testing diminishing in accordance with progress in treatment. Sanctions associated with intensity of treatment are commensurate with the findings from drug testing. The protocol has a detailed and precise program of response to clients based on their progress in treatment, such that clients are managed fairly and objectively based on how they perform in the program. This is considered by program managers to be a key component for preventing client resistance, since client perceptions of unfairness in program administration hinder treatment progress. The evaluation after BTC's first year of operation shows that the implementation of program components has been successful for all 24 Maryland jurisdictions, and a comparison of BTC participants with a matched comparison sample shows reduced recidivism among program participants.