0 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

Policy Issues and Recommendations
Recommendation
1. Correctional officials, in cooperation with Parole,
Probation and privately contracted Community
Correctional Facilities (CCF’s) should mher explore and
evaluate strategies to enhance post-release employment
prospects.
2. Correctional administrators, working with researchers,
drug treatment specialists, treatment supervisors and
program managers, should examine the fiequency of
different reasons given for program termination at each
institution. Examine whether existing procedures aimed at
improving inmates’ therapeutic engagement and retention
in the program can be strengthened.
Findings Supporting
Recommendation
Of the three major outcomes
examined, TC significantly reduce
the likelihood of reincarceration 4
alone. Post-release employment
was strongly related to a lower
likelihood of reincarceration,
rearrest, and drug relapse.
We found some inconsistencies in
inmate selection and termination
procedures across the five
institutions. Two TC programs
tended to recruit older, lower-risk
inmates. Attrition rates varied
substantially (5 - 71%).
3. DOC administrators should work with drug treatment
specialists, treatment supervisors and correctional
program managers to carehlly monitor implementation of
drug treatment policies and procedures (e.g., selection
criteria for TC and other program types).
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4. Correctional administrators should carefblly monitor the
implementation of assessment, screening and program
placement procedures specified by policies. Verirjl that
AOD staffat each institution understand and properly
implement these guidelines. Ensure that programming
resources correspond to needdemand.
5. Correctional administrators should regularly review,
update and ve@ critical data fields (data that inform
program eligibility, selection and placement decisions)
entered into automated information systems. VerlfL that
AOD staff at each institution understand and properly
implement selection guidelines.
Many high-need inmates (e.g., high
offense gravity scores, high need
for drug treatment) were assigned
to less intensive Outpatient
programs rather than TC.
Considerable variability was
observed in time remaining to
minimum release date. In contrast
to stated policy guidelines, many
inmates enrolled in drug treatment
programs were already well past
their minimum release dates.
9
This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not
been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.