Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 97-107, March 2010

A randomized experimental study of gender-responsive substance abuse treatment for women in prison

UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, 1640 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA

Received 1 July 2009; received in revised form 26 August 2009; accepted 20 September 2009. published online 16 December 2009.

Abstract 

This experimental pilot study compared postrelease outcomes for 115 women who participated in prison-based substance abuse treatment. Women were randomized to a gender-responsive treatment (GRT) program using manualized curricula (Helping Women Recover and Beyond Trauma) or a standard prison-based therapeutic community. Data were collected from the participants at prison program entry and 6 and 12 months after release. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results indicate that both groups improved in psychological well-being; however, GRT participants had greater reductions in drug use, were more likely to remain in residential aftercare longer (2.6 vs. 1.8 months, p < .05), and were less likely to have been reincarcerated within 12 months after parole (31% vs. 45%, respectively; a 67% reduction in odds for the experimental group, p < .05). Findings show the beneficial effects of treatment components oriented toward women's needs and support the integration of GRT in prison programs for women.

Keywords: Women offenders, Gender-responsive treatment, Corrections-based treatment outcomes, Helping Women Recover, Beyond Trauma

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 Funding source: This study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant R21 DAO18699-01A1) and an Interagency Agreement between University of California, Davis (Contract 07-002467), and UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP). The findings and conclusions of this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policies of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

PII: S0740-5472(09)00150-0

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2009.09.004

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 97-107, March 2010

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