Evaluation of Two Models of Treating Sentenced Federal Drug Offenders in the Community

The study examined how the two programs were designed and managed, the descriptive characteristics of the target populations served by the two programs, the types of services received by participants, differences in recidivism rates between study participants, and the costs associated with the development and implementation of the two programs. Under the DAC Program, offenders participate in a program with three phases, each of 4 months duration. During each of these phases, participants are required to submit a minimum number of random urine tests and attend weekly substance abuse counseling meetings. In addition, offenders undergo a psychological/social assessment and a substance abuse treatment evaluation. They are required to comply with the individualized treatment plan developed for the offender. Successful termination requires that participants complete each phase of drug testing successfully for 1 year and remain abstinent from drugs. Under the R and R program, participants attended biweekly sessions for 20 weeks. Probation officer are trained by certified trainers. Successful completion of the program is based on the effective administration and delivery of the program as defined by the program handbook. The process and impact evaluations show that despite some implementation problems, the recidivism rate, as measured by arrests that occurred within 1 year after entering either of the programs, was virtually the same for both programs. Since the R and R program was the less expensive of the two programs, however, it is the most cost-effective of the two programs. Recommendations are offered, and the problem of market share is discussed. 15 tables and 16 references