Therapeutic communities (TCs) are emerging as one of the primary approaches for the treatment of substance abuse for criminal offenders. However, the achievement of positive TC outcomes is predicated on their successful implementation. This study examines the effect of two situational influences on the implementation of a TC program in a state prison—the enactment of a smoking ban and a change in treatment providers. Results suggest that the smoking ban led to a loss of inmates' focus on treatment goals and strained inmate-custody staff relationships, whereas the change in treatment providers resulted in an immediate turnover of one third of the counselors and a disruption of relationships between custody and treatment staff.
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