The Forever Free program, which operates at the California Institution for Women, uses a psychoeducational curriculum combined with a strong 12-step emphasis that lasts up to 6 months. Graduates from the program can volunteer to participate in community treatment upon release to parole. The evaluation involved a 1-year follow-up with 180 women (101 treatment participants and 79 comparison subjects). The follow-up study measured recidivism (arrests and reincarceration), drug use, and employment. Cox regression analysis of time to reincarceration found that those women with more lifetime arrests had a significantly increased risk of reincarceration. Treatment participants and older offenders tended to have decreased risk for recidivism. Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment participation and older age predicted a lowered likelihood of drug use, notably heroin use. A longer time in postrelease treatment and higher levels of education predicted employment. 6 tables, 3 figures, and 44 references
Treating Drug-Abusing Women Prisoners: An Outcomes Evaluation of the Forever Free Program
NCJ Number
204238
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 84 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2004 Pages: 81-105
Date Published
March 2004
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This article reports on an evaluation of California's "Forever Free" program, an in-prison, residential, substance abuse treatment program that uses a cognitive-behavioral curriculum designed for women.
Abstract
Date Published: March 1, 2004