Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 32, Issue 3 , Pages 239-254, April 2007

Drug treatment services for adult offenders: The state of the state

  • Faye S. Taxman, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23220, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Virginia Commonwealth University, 923 West Franklin Ave., Suite 501, Richmond, VA 23220. Tel.: +1 804 828 8012; fax: +1 804 827 1843.
    • ,
  • Matthew L. Perdoni, M.S.

      Affiliations

    • Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23220, USA
    • ,
  • Lana D. Harrison, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Center for Drug and Alcohol Studies, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716-2582, USA

Received 26 September 2006; received in revised form 30 November 2006; accepted 25 December 2006. published online 12 March 2007.

Abstract 

We conducted a national survey of prisons, jails, and community correctional agencies to estimate the prevalence of entry into and accessibility of correctional programs and drug treatment services for adult offenders. Substance abuse education and awareness is the most prevalent form of service provided, being offered in 74% of prisons, 61% of jails, and 53% of community correctional agencies; at the same time, remedial education is the most frequently available correctional program in prisons (89%) and jails (59.5%), whereas sex offender therapy (57.2%) and intensive supervision (41.9%) dominate in community correctional programs. Most substance abuse services provided to offenders are offered through correctional programs such as intensive supervision, day reporting, vocational education, and work release, among others. Although agencies report a high frequency of providing substance abuse services, the prevalence rates are misleading because less than a quarter of the offenders in prisons and jails and less than 10% of those in community correctional agencies have daily access to these services through correctional agencies; in addition, these are predominantly drug treatment services that offer few clinical services. Given that drug-involved offenders are likely to have dependence rates that are four times greater than those among the general public, the drug treatment services and correctional programs available to offenders do not appear to be appropriate for the needs of this population. The National Criminal Justice Treatment Practices survey provides a better understanding of the distribution of services and programs across prisons, jails, and community correctional agencies and allows researchers and policymakers to understand some of the gaps in services and programs that may negatively affect recidivism reduction efforts.

Keywords: Drug treatment services for adult offenders, Outpatient therapy, Service integration, Prevalence, Access rates of services

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PII: S0740-5472(07)00017-7

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2006.12.019

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 32, Issue 3 , Pages 239-254, April 2007

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