Selection Processes in Prison-Based Treatment Referrals: A Street-Level Bureaucracy Perspective

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Public Policy
• Penitentiary Studies

Background:

• Official guidelines for allocating detainees to treatment programs are not consistently followed.
• Street-level bureaucracy theory posits that frontline government workers may not implement policies as prescribed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether official guidelines are adhered to in the allocation of offenders to treatment programs within Dutch penitentiary institutions.
• To identify the specific factors influencing these allocation decisions.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted involving 541 male prisoners participating in the Dutch prison-based Prevention of Recidivism program.
• Quantitative analysis was employed to examine referral patterns and influencing factors.

Main Results:

• Official guidelines were found to be infrequently the primary determinant for referring detainees to treatment programs.
• Referral decisions were significantly influenced by a variety of offender risk factors.
• The length of an offender's sentence emerged as another key factor impacting treatment allocation.

Conclusions:

• The allocation of offenders to treatment programs in Dutch prisons does not strictly follow official guidelines.
• Risk factors and sentence length play a more substantial role in treatment referrals than prescribed policies.
• Findings support the application of street-level bureaucracy theory in understanding correctional policy implementation.