NCJ Number
153288
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1993) Pages: 43-59
Date Published
1993
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article reports on early findings from an ongoing longitudinal study of the efficacy of an intensive case management approach, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), for treating parolees with past drug problems, compared with a group of parolees who were not offered this treatment program.
Abstract
ACT focuses on helping the client re-enter the community by providing "in vivo treatment" in small client-staff ratios, including support in the areas of education, vocational training, use of leisure time, and self-care in dealing with the stresses and pressures of interpersonal living. Basic components of the approach include counselors keeping track of their clients with numerous face-to-face contacts; client access to staff at all times; instrumental support for clients in areas such as job training, rent and food money, tools for work, transportation, and child care; and traditional forms of treatment. Using follow- up data on 135 subjects interviewed at release from prison and then reinterviewed about 6 months later, the ACT group and comparison group are examined in terms of recidivism and relapse to drug use. Bivariate analyses suggest little difference between the two groups. Multivariate analyses, however, suggest several significant variables that were not manipulated in this quasi- experiment but are predictive of relapse and recidivism, such as length of time in treatment, demographic characteristics, and criminal histories. Although the limited sample size available at present precludes any definitive conclusions, discussion focuses on the direction of findings and highlights the necessity for multivariate controls in assessing the effectiveness of any intervention with criminal justice clients. 3 tables and 41 references