Posttreatment outcomes for substance-abusing probationers mandated to residential treatment

This article presents an initial evaluation of a community-based substance abuse treatment program for probationers described in a previous issue of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs [27(1): 39-47]. Posttreatment outcomes for 492 probationers remanded to a six-month residential facility were assessed. Based on official state records, 9% of the probationers were rearrested in the six months following discharge from treatment. Those who graduated from the program were significantly less likely to be rearrested during the follow-up interval than were program expulsions and transfers to other programs. Also, program graduates who attended a specialized residential aftercare program were more likely to remain drug-free and be employed after treatment than were those who did not attend the specialized aftercare program. Collectively, results suggest that lower rearrest rates may be associated with the provision of residental treatment to substance-abusing probationers.