Prison-based substance abuse treatment, residential aftercare, and risk classification: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Abstract

Cost-effectiveness analyses were conducted on drug-involved offenders using 1- and 3-year recidivism rates as the outcome variable. A total of 18 analyses were conducted. Groups were first divided on the basis of in-prison treatment and an untreated comparison group. Groups were further divided on the basis of individuals who completed a 9-month in-prison therapeutic community and a community-based transitional therapeutic community following release, those that completed only the in-prison treatment, and an untreated matched comparison. Lastly, groups were further divided on the basis of risk classification. The findings showed that it is cost-effective to offer the intervention to individuals who complete the entire treatment regime, particularly those classified as high-risk. Therefore, criminal justice decision makers should focus on identifying individuals who are most likely to complete treatment by using risk assessments to identify and to place high-risk offenders in intensive services.