Prison Addiction Program and the Role of Integrative Treatment and Program Completion on Recidivism

Abstract

This study examines whether there is variability between the effects of three different drug rehabilitation programs operating in the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) on completers’ recidivism. By performing comparative analysis, this study attempts to address the problem of assessing the role of participants’ motivation. The study uses a rich administrative data obtained from the IPS system to develop a propensity score matching (PSM) approach where the treatment groups consist of only those who completed the programs, and the comparison groups consist of drug-addicted prisoners who have not taken part in any drug rehabilitation program. After matching, prisoners in the treatment and comparison groups are found to be similar on all known characteristics. Findings show that the only rehabilitation program that promised significant and positive outcomes for its completers was the more comprehensive one operating at Hermon Prison. Prisoners who completed the treatment were incarcerated and arrested less than their comparison group. The “golden strategy” for rehabilitating drug-using prisoners, then, will be twofold. The program should be based on the promising components of rehabilitation, that is, cognitive behavioral therapy, therapeutic community, long duration, intensity, and positive social climate. The program should also succeed in retaining its participants through completion.

Does the Enlightened Youth Project See the Light? A New Enterprise for Youths at Risk

“…After matching, the above differences were eliminated: Two groups of youths were formed, similar in all demographic and age variables, by means of which they were compared. In addition, after matching, the percentage bias is less than 20 for all variables, while the groups are also balanced in terms of the standardized differences index (Haviv & Hasisi, 2019).…”

The Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General's Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health

“…1441 Interventions such as multisystemic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and family-based therapies, such as functional family therapy, have succeeded in improving mental and behavioral health in justice-involved individuals and also in reducing rates of recidivism. 1441,[1517][1518][1519][1520] Family connection and reunification upon release is vital for the maintenance of physical and mental health while incarcerated, and has been shown to improve successful reintegration and reduce recidivism among both youth and adults. 1508,[1521][1522][1523][1524][1525] Social support is associated with lower blood pressure and a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, 764 decreased asthma symptoms, and improved immune responses, including inhibiting inflammation, providing protection against infection, and promoting wound healing.…”

Can Yoga Overcome Criminality? The Impact of Yoga on Recidivism in Israeli Prisons

“…In quasi-experimental studies, as those the present study draws on, unlike in randomized control[led] trials, the process of participants' selection might cause a bias in which only the best and most motivated patients enter the program (also known as the "creaming effect"; Haviv & Hasisi, 2019). The strength of this study lies in the fact that, beyond the many variables we controlled for, we also controlled for participation in other rehabilitation programs including informal and formal education, vocational programs, domestic violence programs (Hasisi et al, 2016), and the work-release program, which is considered the flagship program of the IPS and which has been found specifically to be effective in reducing recidivism (Elisha et al, 2017;Weisburd et al, 2017).…”