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R. J. Donovan In-Prison and Community Substance Abuse Program: Three-year Return-To-Custody Data

NCJ Number
177113
Author(s)
Lois Lowe Ph.D; Harry K. Wexler Ph.D; Jean Peters
Date Published
1998
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This report describes the in-prison and community substance abuse program operated at the R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, Calif., and presents 3-year return-to-custody data for a sample of program participants.
Abstract
In 1990 the California Department of Corrections implemented a 9-month to 12-month therapeutic community, in-prison substance abuse program at the R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility. Community aftercare began in late 1991. A formal outcome evaluation of treatment and control subjects was conducted during the years 1992 through 1996, with data being collected on 715 subjects. Twelve-month and 24-month follow-up data indicated that significantly fewer study subjects who completed both the in- prison and community programs were returned to custody, compared to no-treatment, in-prison program drop-outs and in-prison program graduates who dropped out of community treatment. In 1997 additional follow-up data were obtained for 493 study subjects who had been on parole at least 3 years. Earlier findings for the in-prison and community program completers were supported. Only 27.4 percent of the in-prison program completers, who also completed community aftercare, were returned to custody. In contrast, approximately 75 percent of the subjects in all other study groups were returned. The aftercare completer group also remained on parole significantly longer prior to a first formal return to custody. At the end of 3 years, a significantly larger percentage of the aftercare completers had been discharged from parole. 8 tables, 5 figures, and 4 references