Dropout from Treatment and Desistance from Crime among Released Prisoners in Jerusalem Halfway House for Prisoners with Substance Misuse Disorder

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the rates of recidivism among prisoners on parole with a substance misuse disorder who participated in the Jerusalem halfway-house, which combines supervision, employment, and a comprehensive therapeutic program. The study population included all participants who have been treated in the halfway-house (N = 125), whereas the comparison group included all prisoners with a substance misuse disorder who were released after serving their full sentences (N = 321). To reduce possible selection biases, the Propensity Score Matching method was used. Findings show that prisoners, who were treated at the Jerusalem halfway-house, are characterized by higher and frequent rates of recidivism. However, when only completers of the halfway-house were evaluated, it was found that they had lower and slower rates of recidivism. Findings suggest that completing treatment contributes to desistance from crime in the critical post-release years among participants and indicates the importance of optimal diagnostic processes before admitting prisoners to a halfway-house.

Keywords

halfway house substance misuse disorder dropout recidivism released prisoners

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alterman

A. I.

McKay

J. R.

Mulvaney

F. D.

McLellan

A. T.

(1996). Prediction of attrition from day hospital treatment in lower socioeconomic cocaine-dependent men. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 40, 227–233.

Andersson

H. W.

Steinsbekk

Walderhaug

Otterholt

Nordfjærn

(2018). Predictors of dropout from inpatient substance use treatment: A prospective cohort study. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 12(1), 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1178221818760551

Arbour

Hambley

(2011). Predictors and outcome of aftercare participation of alcohol and drug users completing residential treatment. Substance Use & Misuse, 46(10), 1275–1287.

Aslan

(2018). Doing time on a TC: How effective are drug-free therapeutic communities in prison? A review of the literature. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 39(1), 26–34.

Bahr

S. J.

Masters

A. L.

Taylor

B. M.

(2012). What works in substance abuse treatment programs for offenders? The Prison Journal, 92(2), 155–174.

Beech

A. R.

Hamilton-Giachritsis

C. E.

(2005). Relationship between therapeutic climate and treatment outcome in group-based sexual offender treatment programs. Sexual Abuse. A Journal of Research and Treatment, 17(2), 127–140.

Best

Colman

(2019). Let’s celebrate recovery. Inclusive Cities working together to support social cohesion. Addiction Research & Theory, 27(1), 55–64.

Best

Irving

Albertson

(2017). Recovery and desistance: What the emerging recovery movement in the alcohol and drug area can learn from models of desistance from offending. Addiction Research & Theory, 25(1), 1–10.

Brand

(2016). Lived experiences of reintegration: A study of how former prisoners experienced reintegration in a local context [Doctoral Dissertation]. Dublin Institute of Technology.

10.

Brewer

D. D.

Catalano

R. F.

Haggerty

Gainey

R. R.

Fleming

C. B.

(1998). A metaanalysis of predictors of continued drug use during and after treatment for opiate addiction. Addiction, 93(1), 73–92.

11.

Brorson

H. H.

Arnevik

E. A.

Rand-Hendriksen

Duckert

(2013). Drop-out from addiction treatment: A systematic review of risk factors. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(8), 1010–1024.

12.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2014). Prisoners in 2013. Office of justice programs, USA. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

13.

Caputo

G. A.

(2004). Intermediate sanctions in corrections (No. 4). University of North Texas Press.

14.

Carter

R. E.

Haynes

L. F.

Back

S. E.

Herrin

A. E.

Brady

K. T.

Leimberger

J. D.

Sonne

S. C.

Hubbard

R. L.

Liepman

M. R.

(2008). Improving the transition from residential to outpatient addiction treatment: Gender differences in response to supportive telephone calls. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 34(1), 47–59.

15.

Cohen

(1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Earlbaum.

16.

Crewe

2009. The prison society: Power, adaptation and social life in an English prison. Clarendon Press.

17.

Crewe

Levins

(2021). ‘Tightness’, recognition and penal power. Punishment & Society, 23, 47–68.

18.

Crewe

Warr

Bennett

Smith

(2014). The emotional geography of prison life. Theoretical Criminology 18, 56–74.

19.

Cullen

F. T.

Gendreau

(2000). Assessing correctional rehabilitation: Policy, practice, and prospects. Criminal Justice, 3, 109–175.

20.

Dalsbø

T. K.

Hammerstrøm

K. T.

Vist

G. E.

Gjermo

Smedslund

Steiro

Høie

(2010). Psychosocial interventions for retention in drug abuse treatment. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008220.pub2

21.

Darke

Ross

Teesson

(2007). The Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS): What have we learnt about treatment for heroin dependence?. Drug and Alcohol Review, 26(1), 49–54.

22.

De Andrade

Ritchie

Rowlands

Mann

Hides

. (2018). Substance use and recidivism outcomes for prison-based drug and alcohol interventions. Epidemiologic Reviews, 40(1), 121–133.

23.

De Leon

. (1988). Legal pressure in therapeutic communities. Journal of Drug Issues, 18(4), 625–640.

24.

Durnescu

(2018). The five stages of prisoner reentry: Toward a process theory. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(8), 2195–2215.

25.

Dutra

Stathopoulou

Basden

S. L.

Leyro

T. M.

Powers

M. B.

Otto

M. W.

(2008). A meta-analytic review of psychosocial interventions for substance use disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, 179–187.

26.

Duwe

Clark

(2013). Blessed be the social tie that binds: The effects of prison visitation on offender recidivism. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 24(3), 271–296.

27.

Efodi

(2014). Early release of prisoners in parole committees: Aspects of rehabilitation, punishment, and supervision [Doctoral Dissertation]. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Social Work. [In Hebrew]

28.

Efodi

Malikson

(2017). Prisoner rehabilitation authority: Summary of 2016 working year. Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority. [In Hebrew]

29.

Elisha

Shoham

Hasisi

Weisburd

(2017). For prisoners, “Work works”: Qualitative findings from an Israeli program. The Prison Journal, 97(3), 342–363.

30.

Evans

Hser

Y. I.

(2009). Client and program factors associated with dropout from court mandated drug treatment. Evaluation and Program Planning, 32(3), 204–212.

31.

Gendreau

(1996). Offender rehabilitation what we know and what needs to be done. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23(1), 144–161.

32.

Gerstein

D. R.

Lewin

L. S.

(1990). Treating drug problems. New England Journal of Medicine, 323(12), 844–848.

33.

Gideon

(2010). Drug offenders’ perceptions of motivation: The role of motivation in rehabilitation and reintegration. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 54(4), 597–610.

34.

Gideon

Shoham

Weisburd

D. L.

(2010). Changing prison into a therapeutic milieu: Evidence from the Israeli National Rehabilitation Center for Prisoners. The Prison Journal, 90, 179–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032885510361828

35.

Gossop

Marsden

Stewart

Rolfe

(1999). Treatment retention and 1 year outcomes for residential programmes in England. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 57(2), 89–98.

36.

Gueta

Gamliel

Ronel

(2019). “Weak is the new strong”: Gendered meanings of recovery from substance abuse among male prisoners participating in narcotic anonymous meetings. Men and Masculinities, 24(1), 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X19849449

37.

Hasisi

Weissburd

Shoham

Haviv

Zelig

(2018). Sisyphus’s rock: Treatment of addicts in prison in Israel. Megamot, 52(2), 259–300. [In Hebrew]

38.

Hasisi

Weisburd

Shoham

Haviv

Zelig

Zamir

(2016). Evaluation of drug and alcohol rehab programs: A study evaluating correctional programs in the IPS. Israel Prison Service. [In Hebrew]

39.

Haviv

Hasisi

(2019). Prison addiction program and the role of integrative treatment and program completion on recidivism. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 63(15–16), 2741–2770.

40.

Henggeler

S. W.

Pickrel

S. G.

Brondino

Crouch

J. L.

(1996). Eliminating (almost) treatment dropout of substance abusing or dependent delinquents through home-based multisystemic therapy. American Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 427–428.

41.

Hsieh

M. L.

Hamilton

Z. K.

(2016). Predicting success in residential substance abuse interventions: New Jersey’s pre-release incarceration alternatives. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 27(2), 182–202.

42.

Hunter

. (1993). Anger management in the prison: An evaluation. Research on Offender Programming Issues, 5, 3–5.

43.

Jensen

E. L.

Kane

S. L.

(2012). The effects of therapeutic community on recidivism up to four years after release from prison: A multisite study. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39(8), 1075–1087.

44.

Jung

(2014). Do prison work-release programs improve subsequent labor market outcomes? Evidence from the adult transition centers in Illinois. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 53(5), 384–402.

45.

Klag

O’Callaghan

Creed

(2005). The use of legal coercion in the treatment of substance abusers: An overview and critical analysis of thirty years of research. Substance Use & Misuse, 40(12), 1777–1795.

46.

Kressel

De Leon

Palij

Rubin

(2000). Measuring client clinical progress in therapeutic community treatment: The therapeutic community client assessment inventory, client assessment summary, and staff assessment summary. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 19(3), 267–272.

47.

Kritz

Chu

John-Hull

Madray

Louie

Brown

L. S

Jr . (2009). Opioid dependence as a chronic disease: The interrelationships between length of stay, methadone dose, and age on treatment outcome at an urban opioid treatment program. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 28(1), 53–56.

48.

Langton

C. M.

Barbaree

H. E.

Harkins

Peacock

E. J.

(2006). Sex offenders’ response to treatment and its association with recidivism as a function of psychopathy. Sexual Abuse, 18(1), 99–120.

49.

LeBel

T. P.

Burnett

Maruna

Bushway

(2008). The chicken and egg of subjective and social factors in desistance from crime. European Journal of Criminology, 5(2), 131–159.

50.

Liebling

Arnold

(2004). Prisons and their moral performance: A study of values, quality, and prison life. Oxford University Press.

51.

Lipsey

M. W.

Cullen

F. T.

(2007). The effectiveness of correctional rehabilitation: A review of systematic reviews. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 3, 297–320.

52.

Lowenkamp

C. T.

Latessa

E. J.

(2005). Increasing the effectiveness of correctional programming through the risk principle: Identifying offenders for residential placement. Criminology & Public Policy, 4(2), 263–290.

53.

Magor-Blatch

Bhullar

Thomson

Thorsteinsson

(2014). A systematic review of studies examining effectiveness of therapeutic communities. Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 35(4), 168–184.

54.

Mellow

Christian

(2008). Transitioning offenders to the community: A content analysis of reentry guides. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 47(4), 339–355.

55.

Mitchell

Wilson

D. B.

MacKenzie

D. L.

(2012). The effectiveness of incarceration-based drug treatment on criminal behavior: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), i–76.

56.

Moore

K. E.

Hacker

R. L.

Oberleitner

McKee

S. A.

(2018). Reentry interventions that address substance use: A systematic review. Psychological Services, 17(1), 93–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000293

57.

Pitts

(2018). Lifer reentry & community reintegration: Qualitative evidence from Los Angeles [Doctoral dissertation]. University of California.

58.

Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority (2019). In-house documents. [In Hebrew]

59.

Rantz

(2009). Predictors of dropout from treatment among drug-addicted communities: Indigenous vs. Commonwealth natives [Doctoral Dissertation]. Bar-Ilan University, School of Social Work.

60.

Rantz

Dekel

(2011). Evaluation of intervention outcomes in therapeutic communities for drug rehabilitation candidates: A comparison between Israeli-born and FSU-born individuals. Bitahon Leumi, 85, 119–142.

61.

Rich

J. T.

Neely

J. G.

Paniello

R. C.

Voelker

C. C.

Nussenbaum

Wang

E. W.

(2010). A practical guide to understanding Kaplan-Meier curves. Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, 143(3), 331–336.

62.

Ronel

Chen

Timor

Elisha

(2011). Retorno—A Jewish therapeutic community for treatment of addiction. Bar-Ilan University Press. [In Hebrew]

63.

Rosenbaum

P. R.

Rubin

D. B.

(1983). The central role of the propensity score in observational studies for causal effects. Biometrika, 70(1), 41–55.

64.

Sannibale

Hurkett

Bossche

E. V. D.

O’Connor

Zador

Capus

Gregory

McKenzie

(2003). Aftercare attendance and post-treatment functioning of severely substance dependent residential treatment clients. Drug and Alcohol Review, 22(2), 181–190.

65.

Sela

(2002). Therapeutic communities in Israel: Theory and practice. In Hovav

(ed.), Treatment and rehabilitation of drug victims in Israel: Development, description and status (pp.185–217). Cherikover. [In Hebrew]

66.

Shoham

Yehosha-Stern

Efodi

(2015). Recidivism among licensed-released prisoners who participated in the EM program in Israel. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 59(9), 913–929. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X14521773

67.

Skeem

J. L.

Lowenkamp

C. T.

(2016). Risk, race, and recidivism: Predictive bias and disparate impact. Criminology, 54(4), 680–712.

68.

Visher

(2015). Re-entry and reintegration after incarceration. In Wright

James D.

(Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (Vol. 20, 2nd ed., pp. 61–66). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.45096-8

69.

Walk

Berman

(2015). Recidivism in Israel: Characteristics of prisoners and imprisonment and criminal apprenticeship. Tzohar le-beit hasohar, 17, 87–72. [In Hebrew]

70.

Weisburd

Hasisi

Shoham

Aviv

Haviv

(2017). Reinforcing the impacts of work release on prisoner recidivism: The importance of integrative interventions. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 13(2), 241–264.

71.

Wexler

H. K.

Melnick

Cao

(2004). Risk and prison substance abuse treatment outcomes: A replication and challenge. The Prison Journal, 84(1), 106–120.

72.

White

(2008). Recovery management and recovery-oriented systems of care (Vol. 6). Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center, Northeast Addicton Technology Transfer Center and Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services.

73.

White

W. L.

Evans

A. C.

(2013). The recovery agenda: The shared role of peers and professionals. Public Health Reviews, 35(2), 4.

74.

Wong

J. S.

Bouchard

Gushue

Lee

. (2019). Halfway out: An examination of the effects of halfway houses on criminal recidivism. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 63(7), 1018–1037.