NCJ Number
142511
Date Published
1991
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This analysis of issues and research related to offender drug treatment and its implications for corrections policies and programs in Iowa concludes that intensive drug treatment clearly reduces criminal recidivism and that education alone, when not part of pretreatment groups or intensive treatment, has almost no impact on continued drug abuse.
Abstract
Therefore, a comprehensive continuum of care should be developed. This continuum should consist of a detailed, centralized assessment process and multiple tiers of treatment intensity, coupled with a direct link to community support systems. The implementation of this process will reduce criminal recidivism in drug abusing offenders, reduce prison populations, and set a precedent for proactive approaches to offender treatment in the community. To develop this continuum, the Iowa Department of Corrections must continue its progress and will require additional funding.