The paper is divided into four major sections. The first section addresses the definition of substance abuse and dependence, the extent of treatment need, and the link between substance abuse and criminality. Part II examines the stages and modalities of substance abuse treatment, the issues in evaluating substance abuse programs, and what the empirical research indicates about the effectiveness of various treatment models (e.g., therapeutic communities, methadone maintenance, outpatient treatment, etc.). The author's conclusions about what types of treatment work with substance abusers indicate that social learning models, radical behavioral techniques, and cognitive behavioral approaches produce the most significant effects. The review of ineffective approaches concludes that client-centered, nondirective talking cures; self-help; and other "quick fixes" do not work. The third part of the paper discusses a model of substance abuse treatment for offenders that combines findings from the criminological and substance abuse literature. A typology of substance-abusing offenders is also presented, and the controversial issue of moderation versus abstinence is addressed. 93 references