Costs and benefits of prison-based treatment plus aftercare for drug-abusing offenders

The Foundation's Substance Abuse Policy Research Program was designed to provide support for investigators to conduct policy research on a variety of subjects directed at helping the country reduce the harm caused by substance abuse.Public sentiment towards rehabilitating drug-abusing criminal offenders has recently evolved from one demanding justice through traditional incarceration to one more accepting of the possibilities for rehabilitation through effective treatment and socialization programs. This shift in public opinion has contributed to the development of treatment interventions that are applicable within a criminal justice setting. One promising approach to treating offenders is based on the therapeutic community (TC) model. Modified TC programs have been implemented in several prisons across the country. One such program is the Amity TC at RJ Donovan State Correctional Facility, in San Diego, California-- the main site of this research project. There are only a few quantitative studies detailing the social return of prison-based treatment. The purpose of this project is to examine the economic impact of modified TC treatment plus aftercare applied within a state correctional institution. The objective of this project is to provide an economic perspective on the decision to fund prison-based TC treatment as well as possible justification for including an aftercare component in corrections-based interventions. The results of the policy study will be valuable for a number of research and policy outlets. The findings will provide a direct measure of investment and return in prison-based and aftercare treatment programs, which will assist policymakers in California and other states who formulate funding decisions for state and federal correction programs.

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $189,133.00

Awarded on: 11/29/2000

Time frame: 12/1/2000 - 11/30/2004

Grant Number: 41070