Ss. Martin et al., ASSESSMENT OF A MULTISTAGE THERAPEUTIC-COMMUNITY FOR DRUG-INVOLVED OFFENDERS, Journal of psychoactive drugs, 27(1), 1995, pp. 109-116
A multistage therapeutic community (TC) treatment program has been ins
tituted in the Delaware correctional system. Components in place long
enough to provide follow-up data consist of a TC in prison and a ''tra
nsitional'' TC outside the prison for parolees. Baseline data at relea
se from prison, and outcome data six months after release were analyze
d for 457 respondents. A group who had participated in neither of the
TCs was compared to groups who had participated in the TC in prison on
ly, the transitional TC only, or both TCs. The latter two groups had s
ignificantly lower rates of drug relapse and criminal recidivism, even
when adjusted for other risk factors. There was also a reduction for
the prison TC group, although more modest and statistically significan
t only when adjusted for baseline differences. Outcome benefits of the
TC participation were also found for behaviors affecting the risk of
HIV infection. The results support the efficacy of a multistage TC pro
gram and the importance of the transitional TC as a component.