Differential effectiveness of residential versus outpatient aftercare for parolees from prison-based therapeutic community treatment programs
2007

Effectiveness of Residential vs. Outpatient Aftercare for Parolees

Sample size: 4165 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Burdon William M, Dang Jeff, Prendergast Michael L, Messina Nena P, Farabee David

Primary Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Hypothesis

Parolees with high severity drug/alcohol dependence will benefit more from residential aftercare than outpatient aftercare.

Conclusion

Both outpatient and residential aftercare are equally effective for parolees, regardless of the severity of their drug/alcohol problems.

Supporting Evidence

  • Subjects benefited equally from outpatient and residential aftercare, regardless of the severity of their drug/alcohol problem.
  • Time spent in treatment was a significant predictor of 12-month return-to-prison rates.
  • Females were less likely to return to prison compared to males.

Takeaway

This study found that it doesn't matter if parolees go to residential or outpatient treatment after prison; both work the same for helping them stay out of prison.

Methodology

The study analyzed data from 4,165 parolees who participated in either outpatient or residential aftercare after prison-based treatment, focusing on their return to prison within 12 months.

Potential Biases

Selection bias may affect the results as participants chose their aftercare modality.

Limitations

Self-reported data may introduce bias, and the study did not account for all potential confounding factors.

Participant Demographics

Participants included male and female parolees from prison-based therapeutic community treatment programs.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = .933

Confidence Interval

(0.92, 0.96)

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1747-597X-2-16

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