NCJ Number
214037
Journal
Justice Research and Policy Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 29-55
Date Published
2005
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Analyses of prerelease and postrelease data on 576 inmates in Illinois and Ohio determined which prisoners with self-reported drug problems received in-prison substance abuse treatment and postrelease treatment, as well as individual-level treatment matching and continuity.
Abstract
Approximately 58 percent of inmates who reported having a drug problem before entering prison received some kind of in-prison drug treatment; 41 percent of inmates who did not report having a drug problem upon admission to prison received some type of drug treatment. At the time of the study, substance abuse treatment practices in Ohio were more advanced than in Illinois. It was not surprising, therefore, when the study found that Ohio showed greater matching of treatment to inmate need. Still, Ohio's provision of continued drug treatment services after release was inconsistent, as a significant percentage of inmates who received in-prison drug treatment were released without any effort to involve them in continuity of treatment in the community. The findings further suggest that offender motivation to change are related to the likelihood they will engage in substance abuse treatment services in prison and continue it after release. Given the limited resources for drug treatment, the authors recommend that inmates motivated to change be given priority for treatment slots. Inmates selected for the study were returning to locations in Chicago, IL, and Cleveland, OH. Data were obtained with a survey of inmates 1 to 3 months prior to their release, along with three one-on-one interviews with sample members approximately 1 to 3 months, 4 to 6 months, and 1 year after release. This article focuses on data collected in the prerelease survey and the first postrelease interview. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 38 references