NCJ Number
67452
Date Published
1976
Length
19 pages
Annotation
THE PAPER DESCRIBES AN OHIO PRISON PROGRAM (DRUADD) TO HELP CONVICTED FELONS WITH DRUG ABUSE/ADDICTION PROBLEMS BY PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC COUNSELING SHORTLY BEFORE THEIR RELEASE ON PAROLE.
Abstract
THE DRUADD PROGRAM AT LONDON CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN OHIO, WAS AN ATTEMPT TO COMPROMISE TWO OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: ONE WHICH RESISTED CREATION OF A DRUG COUNSELING PROGRAM ON GROUNDS THAT THE TYPICAL DRUG ABUSER/ADDICT DID NOT MARKEDLY DIFFER FROM THE TYPICAL INCARCERATED OFFENDER; AND ANOTHER WHICH ASSERTED THAT THE INCARCERATED DRUG ABUSER REQUIRED DIFFERENT TREATMENT FROM OTHER OFFENDERS. IN THE FIRST TWO PHASES OF THE PROGRAM, AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO COMPARE THE EFFIENCY OF THREE GROUP THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES: TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS, EXISTENTIAL ENCOUNTER, AND GESTALT THERAPY. THE RESULTS OF THIS RESEARCH WERE REPORTED IN AN UNPUBLISHED 'OHIO DEPARTMENT OF REHABILITATION AND CORRECTIONS REPORT' OF 1974. IN ITS SECOND TWO PHASES, DRUADD ENDEAVORED TO CLASSIFY INCARCERATED DRUG ABUSERS ACCORDING TO THEIR MOTIVATIONAL AND COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE INCARCERATED DRUG ABUSER/ADDICT DOES DIFFER FROM OTHER INCARCERATED OFFENDERS AND THAT INDUCING BEHAVIORAL CHANGE IN A PENAL SETTING IS AT BEST PRECARIOUS. TWO TABLES OF SAMPLE COMPARISONS ARE INCLUDED. SEVEN REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (MFE)