Who are the non-participants of prison-based therapeutic communities? Exploring the association with criminal and social capital

Abstract

Prison-based Therapeutic Community treatment (TC) is offered in many countries and has proven effective in reducing substance use and sustaining abstinence as well as reducing criminal recidivism. However, the need for prison-based treatment is not always met. Drawing on cross-sectional self-report survey data (n = 420) conducted in six Danish prisons, this study employed bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression to explore whether access to social and criminal capital – prior to and outside prison – is associated with entering prison-based TC. Results show that individuals with problematic substance use, who were not in TC, had fewer resources than TC participants. Furthermore, social capital showed as a positive predictor and criminal capital as negative predictor of TC participation.