The Treatment Group and Recidivism: A Multilevel Analysis of Prison-Based Substance Abuse Treatment

• NCJ Number: 254319
• Journal: Prison Journal Dated: 2019
• Author(s): Christopher E. Kelly; Wayne N. Welsh; Jennifer N. Stanley
• Date Published: 2019
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2002-RT-BX-1002
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Award: Evaluation of Drug Treatement at the State Correctional Institution at Chester: A Partnership Between the PA Doc,

Annotation

This study contributes to the substance abuse treatment literature by examining recidivism across treatment groups in relation to the level of aggregation between the individual and the program.

Abstract

The sample consisted of 618 drug-involved offenders who participated in 12 different treatment groups within a single prison. Reincarceration significantly varied across groups, controlling for time at risk and treatment modality. This between-unit variation was explained by individual treatment response measures and control variables. Results demonstrated that treatment effectiveness is impacted by the group in which the individual participates. These findings have substantial implications for correctional treatment theory, research, and policy. (publisher abstract modified)