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Closing the Revolving Door?: Substance Abuse Treatment as an Alternative to Traditional Sentencing for Drug-Dependent Offenders

NCJ Number
225693
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior: An International Journal Volume: 36 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 89-109
Author(s)
Tara D. Warner; John H. Kramer
Date Published
January 2009
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a drug and alcohol treatment-based intermediate punishment, Restrictive Intermediate Punishments (RIP/D&A), in reducing recidivism among drug-dependent offenders.
Abstract
Results found that compared to traditionally sentenced offenders, unsuccessful RIP/D&A participants had a risk of rearrest approximately 51 percent higher (net of offender, offense, and county effects) 12 months postrelease. However, when compared to State incarcerated offenders, unsuccessful RIP/D&A participants did much worse, with a risk of rearrest 214 percent higher. Successful completers were only slightly more likely to be rearrested than State incarcerated offenders at 12 months; State incarcerated offenders had a much lower risk of rearrest than RIP/D&A participants within the first 12 months after release. Compared to county jail and probation sentenced offenders, RIP/D&A sentenced offenders fared better. Offenders who successfully completed RIP/D&A had a risk of rearrest 54 percent lower at 12 months, decreasing to 40 percent lower at 36 months, compared to county jail offenders (and net of offender, offense, and county effects). However, offenders who did not complete RIP/D&A had rearrest risks that were higher than offenders sentenced to county jail or probation. Data were collected by comparing all offenders sentenced to RIP/D&A to a sample of comparable offenders sentenced 1 year prior to the program’s implementation; Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the risk of rearrest between these groups at 12, 24, and 36 months postrelease during a 36-month followup period. Tables, notes, and references

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