Three-Year Reincarceration Outcomes for In-Prison Therapeutic Community Treatment in Texas

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Abstract
Longer term in-prison therapeutic community (ITC) outcome studies are needed, along with more attention on who benefits most from these programs. This study examined reincarceration records for 394 nonviolent offenders during the 3 years following prison. Those who completed both ITC and aftercare were the least likely to be reincarcerated (25%), compared to 64% of the aftercare dropouts and 42% of the untreated comparison groups. Furthermore, high-severity aftercare completers were reincarcerated only half as often as those in the aftercare dropout and comparison groups (26% vs. 66% and 52%). The findings support the effectiveness of intensive treatment when it is integrated with aftercare, and the benefits are most apparent for offenders with more serious crime and drug-related problems.