NCJ Number
128811
Date Published
1989
Length
54 pages
Annotation
The experiences of State and Federal prisons that established therapeutic communities (TC's) in the 1970's to treat inmates for drug addiction were surveyed to determine factors which led to program failure and to develop guidelines to ensure a more successful outcome for prison-based TC's. Data on prison-based TC's were collected through a mailed survey questionnaire, review of literature, and telephone interviews with correctional officials and TC program staff.
Abstract
The survey questionnaire identified programs and basic program characteristics. Six major factors, relating to program staff, prison administration, social conflict, budget cuts, overcrowding, TC inmates using drugs, political pressure, and lack of research on program success, contributed to the discontinuation of the programs under study. Following a series of summary reports on former prison-based TC's, this report offers guidelines for establishing and maintaining new programs. These fall into several categories: planning, budgeting, staffing, system adjustments, security issues, physical plant, training, intra-institutional relationships, management of program failures, and external relationships. 3 appendixes