Criminal Justice Interventions with Drug and Alcohol Abusers: The Role of Compulsory Treatment (From Behavioral Approaches to Crime and Delinquency: A Handbook of Application, Research, and Concepts, P 331-361, 1987, Edward K Morris and Curtis J Braukmann, eds. -- See NCJ-111159)

• NCJ Number: 111171
• Author(s): M L Stitzer; M E McCaul
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 31 pages
• Sale Source: Plenum Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter examines the relationship between substance abuse and crime from the perspective of behaviorism and discusses several intervention strategies that can be used with criminally involved substance abusers, including incarceration, community supervision, and compulsory treatment.

Abstract

First, the chapter identifies substance abuse as a behavior disorder, pointing out the string relationship between substance abuse and crime. Criminal activity and substance abuse are linked in several reported studies. In one study, 88 percent of the crime reported occurred when the criminals were actively addicted. Second, the chapter reviews the criminal justice system's intervention with drug and alcohol abusers. Forms of intervention include restricting supply, incarceration, community supervision, methadone maintenance treatment, compulsory drug abuse treatment programs, voluntary or compulsory residence in substance-free therapeutic communities, and compulsory alcoholism treatment. The authors report evaluations of the compulsory treatment approaches, concluding that for two reasons, they are not always effective. First, the criminal justice environment may not be optimal for promoting and maintaining treatment participation. Second, the available forms of treatment may not be effective in controlling substance abuse and promoting rehablitation. Third, the chapter summarizes the variables that appear to influence the outcome of treatment for substance abusers. Four factors influencing treatment outcomes of compulsory patients are: (1) treatment efficacy, (2) client characteristics, (3) contingencies maintaining treatment and participation, and (4) concurrent legal sanctions. 3 figures and 61 references.