Therapeutic Communities for Youths in Secure Care: Participant Characteristics and Predictors of Treatment and Postrelease Supervision

Abstract

The current cross-sectional, descriptive study utilized services data to examine the characteristics, treatment, and postrelease outcomes of 226 male (64.6%) and female (35.4%) youths in therapeutic communities (TCs) housed within three secure-care facilities in one Southern state. The results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that approximately 21% of the variance in amount of TC services received was predicted by demographic, psychosocial, and institutional variables. Girls received less TC treatment than boys, and participants with disciplinary tickets received more treatment than those without tickets. The binary logistic regression model distinguished between youths who were and were not placed under supervision upon release, with relevant predictors explaining about 40% of the variance. Implications for practice and research with youths in institution-based TCs are discussed.This article describes the psychosocial characteristics, substance abuse patterns, treatment utilization, and postrelease outcomes of adolescent male and female participants in therapeutic communities (TCs) housed in three different secure-care facilities. As the gap widens between the need for substance abuse treatment

Therapeutic Community Treatment of an Inmate Population with Substance Use Disorders: Post-Release Trends in Re-Arrest, Re-Incarceration, and Drug Misuse Relapse

“…Of five studies that investigated the effects of a modified TCI with a cognitive behavioural component, three reported positive effects across all outcomes measured [ 21 , 27 , 30 ]. One study [ 28 ] found modified TCI was no more effective than alternate treatment in reducing re-arrest and re-incarceration (but not drug misuse relapse) [ 24 , 26 ]. Finally, one study [ 29 ] found modified effectiveness in reducing drug misuse relapse (not criminal outcomes) [ 29 ].…”