NCJ Number
67823
Date Published
1978
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES THE TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING SERVICES USED IN THE LONDON, OHIO, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION BY COMPARING THE TWO PROGRAMS AND EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMBINED PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE.
Abstract
THE DRUG COUNSELING PROGRAM CALLED DRUADD HAS ATTEMPTED TO HELP CLIENTS RESOLVE THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE ON VARIOUS CHEMICALS WHEN THEY WERE CIVILIANS. GROUP THERAPY HAS ATTEMPTED TO HELP CLIENTS RESOLVE THEIR PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH RESPECT TO BOTH THEIR CIVILIAN AND PENAL ADJUSTMENT. EVALUATORS SEARCHED THROUGH OFFICIAL RECORDS FOR ALL CLIENTS HAVING HAD CONTACT WITH BOTH PROGRAMS. TO EVALUATE EFFECTIVENESS, PAROLE OUTCOME AND INSTITUTIONAL STATUS WERE THE VARIABLES STUDIED. IT WAS FOUND THAT MOST OF DRUADD'S AND GROUP THERAPY'S CLIENTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM THE SYSTEM AND ARE ON SOME TYPE OF RELEASE STATUS. WHILE DRUADD CLIENTS SEEM TO HAVE INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS, THEY DO ABOUT AS WELL ON PAROLE AS THE TYPICAL RELEASEE FROM PRISON. GROUP THERAPY CLIENTS SEEM TO HAVE LESS INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS THAN DRUADD CLIENTS, BUT DO ONLY SOMEWHAT BETTER ON PAROLE THAN DRUADD'S CLIENTS AND THE TYPICAL RELEASEE FROM PRISON. FINDINGS FROM THE COMBINED EVALUATION SHOWED THAT MOST CLIENTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND DO AS WELL AS THE TYPICAL RELEASEE FROM PRISON, WHILE THOSE RESIDENTS RECEIVING PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT SEEM TO HAVE DIFFICULTY COPING IN PRISON. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THESE CLIENTS WOULD BE EXPECTED TO HAVE A POORER PROGNOSIS THAN THE TYPICAL INMATE, IF RELEASED OR RETAINED WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF TREATMENT. WITH MORE CONCENTRATED AND EXTENDED PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT, THESE CLIENTS MIGHT ULTIMATELY DO BETTER ON PAROLE THAN THE TYPICAL RELEASEE FROM PRISON. (JLF)