NCJ Number
171542
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
These presentations at the Annual Conference on Criminal Justice Research & Evaluation, July 10-12, 1995, discuss correctional drug abuse treatment evaluation, the nature of the drug abuse and addiction problem, and policy considerations.
Abstract
Congress is divided on the issue of treating drug abusers while they are incarcerated. Congressional reluctance to authorize funding for treatment programs, both in prison and post-release, persists despite scientific evidence that the programs successfully rehabilitate individuals and reduce criminal recidivism. Many in-prison clients would not seek treatment on the outside. Therapeutic community treatment appears to be more effective than other programs and one speaker described several such programs, which include both prison treatment and aftercare. These programs are cost-effective and appear to work for even the most violent offenders. Presenters also discussed the dual nature of drug abuse and addiction -- it is both a social and a health problem -- and reasons why the public and policy makers do not believe and do not act in response to available scientific data.