Drug abuse treatment in criminal justice settings: Enhancing community engagement and helpfulness

This study examined the impact of a treatment readiness program on probatio ners receiving drug abuse treatment in a modified therapeutic community (TC ). The program we developed was designed to increase motivation and improve skills needed for treatment progress. Probationers (N = 500) were assigned randomly to receive either the treatment readiness training or the standar d approach used at the facility. Probationers responded to newly developed and established measures of community characteristics. Probationers receivi ng the readiness training rated their communities as more engaged and helpf ul than did those receiving the standard program. As predicted, probationer s who had higher levels of treatment experience prior to entry into the cur rent program (and who may have thus perceived treatment as having more limi tations) gave more reserved estimates of community engagement. The current study suggests that the readiness training is having its intended impact on probationers. In addition, the study supports the usefulness of a newly de veloped measure in evaluating treatment effectiveness.