0 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

effects became nonsignificant (although still in the right direction). It appears that critics were
right: proper diagnosis of treatment effects requires separate consideration of program graduates
and failures (Austin, 1998). It is not enough to simply expose an inmate to TC; he/she must
successhlly complete it to enjoy any significant, lasting advantage. TC graduates who maintained
full time employment after release from prison had the lowest reincarceration rates overall.
Survival analyses showed visible effects of TC primarily after 12 months, although hazard rates
began to rise sharply after 6 - 9 months.
In contrast to findings for reincarceration, TC had no significant effect on rearrests.
Arrests, of course, may or may not result in formal charges, convictions, or reincarcerations.
Reincarceration may simply be a more reliable indicator of post-release outcome. No significant
interactions between TC and other variables (e.g., institutional setting, employment status) were
@
found. However, full-time employment following release from prison once again showed a
significant effect in lowering the likelihood of rearrest.
Last, but not least, we examined the effects of TC and other variables on parole outcomes
including drug testing. Thirty-six percent of inmates in the TC group and 39% of inmates in the
Comparison group had at least one positive drug test during the at-risk period. Although a
positive drug test does not necessarily result in a technical parole violation (TPV), a new offense,
a new arrest, or a new reincarceration, high relapse rates are certainly of concern. Relapse rates
were sigrdicantly higher for two of the five institutions examined, the only instance in which we
found any significant effect of institutional setting on treatment outcomes. Employment had a
strong effect on reducing the likelihood of relapse. Inmates who were employed full-time during
the at-risk period were half as likely to test positive for drug use.
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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.