The relationship between duration of treatment in a therapeutic community for drug abusers and subsequent criminality

The conviction rates for the first 61 admissions to a therapeutic community for drug dependence were obtained for a period two years prior to admission and two years after discharge, by searching in the Criminal Records Office at Scotland Yards. A long-stay group (n = 20) which had remained in residence more than six months was compared with a medium-stay group (n = 20) which had remained from one to six months and a short stay group (n = 21) which had remained less than one month. The long-stay group had a pre-admission conviction rate of 60 per cent, which was significantly reduced to 10 per cent during the follow-up period. The conviction rate of the medium-stay group was reduced from 70 per cent before treatment to 45 percent after treatment; that of the short stay group remained constant at 57 per cent before and after treatment. It is suggested that periods of more than six months treatment in the community are effective in reducing subsequent criminality.