Barnstable House of Correction Residential Substance Abuse Treatment: A Process Evaluation, Executive Summary

• NCJ Number: 186733
• Author(s): Ann Marie Rocheleau; Amy Mennerich; Diana Brensilber
• Date Published: December 2000
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Series: NIJ Research Report
• Grant Number(s): 1998-RT-VX-K006
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation

Annotation

A process evaluation of the drug treatment program in the Barnstable House of Correction in Massachusetts used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to describe and assess the program, the participants and selection process, program completions and terminations, and compliance with known principles of effective drug treatment.

Abstract

The program operated in two units (Prep and Shock Units), each of which housed 40 men and had a military-style setting. Inmates spent 4-8 weeks in the Prep Unit and then moved to the Shock Unit, where they completed a 3-month, 36-session rotation of the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Group. Inmates received a total of 6 months of drug treatment. The program blended 12-step programming with cognitive-behavioral therapy and social skills training. The evaluation revealed that RSAT participants were more likely to be single than were those in the general inmate population. Twenty-six percent of the 309 entries into the program during the 1-year evaluation period resulted in graduation, 41 percent were terminated by staff, 29 percent were released early, 2 percent dropped out, and 2 percent were still in the program at the time of analysis. The program has successfully incorporated 13 of the 18 recognized principles of effective drug treatment programs. Recommended actions to improve the program’s operation include increasing human services and custody staff by one fulltime position each, continuing or initiating training for all staff in cognitive-behavioral therapy, better informing inmates about the program before they enter it, and establishing written classification eligibility criteria for inmates moving into the Shock unit. Additional recommendations and chart