NCJ Number
214464
Date Published
August 2002
Length
127 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the effectiveness of using a variety of types of justice and treatment information to predict treatment and criminal justice outcomes in Philadelphia's criminal justice population.
Abstract
Overall, the results provided strong general support for the use of predictive classifications based on treatment and criminal justice information to assist in treatment decision making. Findings indicated that several factors could be effectively used to predict treatment and criminal justice outcomes among the population, although the differences in predictive value for male and female defendants were sometimes pronounced. Predictive factors included attendance at assessment, determination of treatment need, residential treatment recommendation, attendance at first treatment appointment, treatment retention of 30 days or longer, rearrest, and failure-to-appear at court. The best candidate for criminal justice outcomes were defendants with rearrests and those who failed to make required court appearances. The authors note that the development of predictive classifications would not have been as robust if only one type of information was used. The main research question asked whether and how treatment and criminal justice information could be used to anticipate treatment concerns within a criminal justice population. Data were drawn from all males targeted for the Philadelphia Treatment Court from January 1998 through November 1999 and all females referred to the Female Offenders Comprehensive and Integrated Services Network from July 1997 through December 1999. Male participants included 304 defendants ordered to substance abuse treatment who never appeared, 308 defendants assessed but found not in need of treatment, 355 defendants assessed in need of treatment who declined to enter Treatment Court, 513 defendants found ineligible after referral, and 352 defendants assessed and entering Treatment Court. Female participants included 687 women ordered to assessment but never appearing, 400 women assessed but not found to need treatment, 602 women who were assessed in need and received treatment services, and 168 women who were assessed in need of treatment and directed to voluntary treatment without court case management services. Footnotes, tables, figures, references, appendix