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Evaluating corrections-based treatment for the drug-abusing criminal offender
K Knight1, M L Hiller, D D Simpson
1Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth 76129, USA. ibr@tcu.edu
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
|October 26, 1999
Summary
Drug treatment programs within the criminal justice system show effectiveness. However, comparing outcomes is challenging due to varied data collection methods, necessitating standardized research approaches for drug-abusing offenders.
Area of Science:
- Criminal Justice
- Addiction Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Rising rates of drug abuse within the criminal justice population.
- Expansion of drug treatment facilities in correctional settings.
- Existing evidence supports the efficacy of these correctional drug treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address challenges in assessing treatment outcomes for drug-abusing offenders.
- To highlight limitations in direct outcome comparisons across studies.
- To recommend future research directions for improved evaluation.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evaluations of corrections-based drug treatment.
- Analysis of variations in measurement systems and data recording.
- Identification of inconsistencies hindering cross-study outcome comparisons.
Main Results:
- Consistent support for the effectiveness of drug treatment in criminal justice settings.
- Significant limitations exist in comparing outcomes due to methodological differences.
- Variations in measurement tools and record structures impede direct evaluation.
Conclusions:
- Corrections-based drug treatment is effective for offenders.
- Standardization of outcome assessment is crucial for reliable comparisons.
- Future research should focus on developing uniform evaluation metrics.