Progress in Prison Substance Abuse Treatment: A Five Year Report

Abstract

Within the recent years there has been a paradigmatic shift in the direction of correctional policy — a movement away from an exclusive concern with security and control toward a more comprehensive approach that includes rehabilitation and treatment. Looking for ways to reduce recidivism and to control overcrowding (and recognizing the close connection between substance abuse and crime), correctional authorities have begun expanding prison-based drug treatment programs. This movement toward a corrections-treatment perspective has been based upon a growing body of research that has indicated that intensive prison-based drug treatment programs are an effective means of controlling recidivism. Progress in prison substance abuse treatment that has transpired over the last five years is described, along with a brief description of correctional substance abuse treatment approaches. Recommendations for the future of correctional drug treatment and some critical cautions are presented as well.