Osteraker Project: A Further Follow-up of the Drug Misuser Treatment Programme at Osteraker Prison

• NCJ Number: 139109
• Author(s): O Berggren; H Svard
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: Swedish Prison and Probation Admin
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Sweden
• Note: Research Paper No. 1, translated by Norman Bishop

Annotation

A followup study gathered data regarding the treatment outcomes for inmate drug abusers at Sweden's Osteraker prison who were released from prison between July 1, 1982 and June 30, 1987.

Abstract

The program was organized as a modified therapeutic community. It includes a structured daily life, the development of social life skills, and the improvement of personal self-confidence and the ability to handle interpersonal relationships. The program also aims to motivate inmates to continue work on their personal development after release, with emphasis on the value of psychotherapy. Records of the 287 inmates released during the period were studied with respect to subsequent drug abuse within 12 months and recidivism within 24 months. Results revealed that those sentenced for drug law offenses and those with no previous prison experience had better outcomes than those sentenced for other offenses or with previous prison experience. Findings indicated that the Osteraker program results in favorable outcomes despite the high-risk nature of the offenders it serves. Tables and notes