Evaluating Corrections-Based Treatment for the Drug-Abusing Criminal Offender

Abstract

The recent increase in drug abusers in the criminal justice system has led to the expansion of corrections-based drug treatment facilities. Although three key evaluations have provided consistent support for the effectiveness of drug treatment within the criminal justice system, direct comparisons of outcomes across these evaluations are limited by variations in their measurement systems and the structure of official records on which they are based. This article addresses some of the issues relating to the assessment of treatment outcomes for the drug-abusing offender and provides several recommendations for future research.