0 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

state prison system. The test-retest reliability was reported as a Pearson product-moment
correlation coefficient, which has a range of -1 to 1. The TCU Drug Screep fared extremely well
on this measure, obtaining a test-retest reliability of .95.
Screening instruments were also examined for their utility in identifjring alcohol or drug
dependence disorders, using the DSM-IV Structured Clinical Interview as a criterion (Peters et
al., 2000). The TCU Drug Screen had a high overall accuracy in detecting drug or alcohol
/
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dependence (82.1% agreement with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV). The
instrument resulted in relatively few “inappropriate” referrals (the positive predictive value was
83.5%). Sensitivity, which refers to the proportion of dependent participants who were correctly
identified by the TCU-DS as dependent, was assessed at 84.9% (Peters et al., 2000). Based on its
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positive predictive value, sensitivity, and accuracy, the TCU Drug Screen was found to be among
the most effective instruments for identdjing substance abuse and dependence disorders in an
inmate population (Peters et al., 2000).
Resident Evaluation of Self and Treatment (REST)
Researchers at Texas Christian University also created the Resident Evaluation of Selfand
Treatment (REST) form (Appendix 5). The REST contains a series of questions asking about the
inmate’s perceptions of his drug-related problems, psychological functioning, and treatment
process, including perceptions of program structure, participation in therapeutic groups,
counselor attitudes and behavior, and counseling sessions (Knight, Simpson, Chatham and
Camacho, 199791). The REST allows researchers to pose myriad questions about an inmate’s
responses to treatment and it allows researchers to observe changes over time (ie., “dynamic”
risk factors).
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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.