ADAPTING AND USING THE SUBSTANCE-ABUSE SUBTLE SCREENING INVENTORY-2 WITH CRIMINAL-JUSTICE OFFENDERS - PRELIMINARY-RESULTS

This article presents the preliminary results of adapting and using th e Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-2 (SASSI) with criminal j ustice populations. Through pilot testing with 200 probationary and 10 0 pretrial adult criminal offenders referred to Illinois Treatment Alt ernatives for Safe Communities, separate norms based on the SASSI-2 we re developed for making treatment referral decisions. Analysis of SASS I-2 data collected from larger samples of criminal offenders showed th at it appears to accurately screen for chemical dependency and that th e treatment referrals based on the norms developed in the initial pilo t study were reasonable. The SASSI-2 Corrections subscale also disting uished well between offenders with more extensive criminal histories a nd those with fewer prior arrests. Although more rigorous validation s tudies are needed, it is recommended that the SASSI-2 be considered fo r use with criminal justice populations when a brief, objective, and a ccurate screening tool for chemical dependency is needed.