Public Policy Solution #4
In-Prison Treatment Combined with Community-based Care is Necessary for Successful Reentry

The most successful outcomes for treating individuals in the criminal justice system have been found among individuals participating in both in-prison treatment and community treatment during the period of post-release supervision.1 

In a study of people convicted of drug offenses in Delaware, people who participated in 12—15 months of treatment in prison followed by another 6 months of treatment in the community were more than twice as likely to be drug-free 18 months after release as those who had only the prison treatment. Those individuals were also arrested less often in the year and a half following release.2

The provision of treatment during incarceration and upon release into the community is critical because the forced abstinence that may occur while a person is incarcerated does not equal recovery.  Individuals leaving prison and jail are under an incredible amount of stress upon release; when transitioning from the structured environment of the prison or jail to society, they often return to the same communities and associations they had before, including those linked to their drug and alcohol use.3  Recovery and treatment are long-term processes even for people who have not been incarcerated, let alone for those who face those extra pressures; therefore, people must have ongoing access to treatment.4 Research indicates that treatment gains may be lost if treatment is not continued after the individual is released from prison or jail.

It is imperative that treatment programs “behind the walls” be supplemented by treatment and reentry services in the community.  This policy is clearly in the public interest, as it will achieve maximum reductions not just of drug and alcohol use but also of crime and victimization in the community.Additionally, in-prison drug and alcohol treatment has been associated with significantly reduced use of injection drugs, reduced income from crime, fewer prison returns, fewer hospital stays for drug and alcohol problems, and fewer disciplinary infractions by inmates and reduced absenteeism by correctional staff.5

1 “From Prison to Home: The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry,” The Urban Institute, Jeremy Travis, Amy L. Solomon and Michelle Waul, June 2001, 27, http://www.urban.org/pdfs/from_prison_to_home.pdf

2  “A corrections-based continuum of effective drug abuse treatment,” James Inciardi, National Institute of Justice Research Preview, June 1996 as cited in “Continuity of Individuals Treatment for Substance Use Disorders From Institution to Community” CSAT’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 30, DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 98-3245, 1998, http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/BKD308/

3 Id.

4 “Why Planning for Release Matters,” Vera Institute, October 2000, http://www.vera.org/publication_pdf/planning_for_release.pdf

5 “The impact of in-prison therapeutic community programs on prison management,” Journal of Individuals Rehabilitation,32(3):63-78 as cited in “Integrating Substance Abuse Treatment and Criminal Justice Supervision,” Douglas B. Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D. NIDA Science and Practice Perspectives, Volume 2, Number 1 - September 2003. http://www.nida.nih.gov/PDF/Perspectives/vol2no1/02Perspectives-Integrating.pdf

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