DETERMINANTS OF EXPECTATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY AMONG INCARCERATED SUBSTANCE-ABUSERS

This investigation examines the relative influence of social support a nd other empirically relevant inmate characteristics on incarcerated s ubstance abusers' perceptions of their postrelease adjustment Survey d ata were collected from 101 male and female substance-abusing offender s participating in prison- and jail-based treatment programs in south Florida. Regression equations were developed using different measures of respondents' efficacy expectations. Among predictors, only social s upport proved significant (p <.05) in relation to respondents' expecta tions of their postrelease success. This investigation demonstrates th e complexity of incarcerated substance abusers' efficacy expectations and identifies social support as a potential rehabilitative resource f or counselors who work with substance-abusing inmates.