Examining Early Outcomes of the Opportunity to Succeed Program: A Preliminary Analysis of the Follow-Up Self-Report Data

• NCJ Number: 171839
• Author(s): J Buck; S Rossman
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: The Urban Institute
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC.

Annotation

After describing the key components and participation criteria for the Opportunity to Succeed program, a community- based offender supervision program for drug-abusing offenders, this report presents the program's evaluation methodology and findings on substance abuse and recidivism outcomes.

Abstract

The key components of the program are intensive case management, a three-pronged approach to supervision, and service provision in five domains. Eligibility criteria include time served for a felony conviction, no current convictions for specified violent offenses, an identified substance abuse problem and substance abuse treatment during incarceration, return to the specified target area, and at least 12 months parole or probation supervision. For the purposes of evaluation, offenders were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. The evaluation methodology involved a baseline survey on offender background, history, and characteristics (self report); follow-up survey (1 year self-report); police and probation/parole records; and program intervention records from the management information system. Program intervention included substance abuse treatment, intensive supervision, employment services, family support services, housing, and health/mental health services. Less than 10 percent of the sample reported no change in the level of drug use during a 12-month follow-up period; 25 percent reportedly "quit but slipped a few times during recovery"; and 30 percent reported no use during the 12-month period. Sixty-three percent of the sample reported a decreased desire to use drugs. Thirty- five percent of program participants were reincarcerated compared to 42 percent of the controls. Twenty-seven percent of program participants were rearrested compared to 20 percent of controls; the most prevalent arrest offenses were drug dealing, assault, and disorderly conduct. Technical violations and revocations were similar for the treatment and control samples (46 percent and 32 percent, respectively). 7 figures