Short- and Long-Term Therapeutic Communities: A Follow-up and Cost Effectiveness Comparison

Abstract

The rates of program completion, the rates of court convictions after release from the program, and a cost effectiveness analysis were compared for two therapeutic communities whose major difference is the length of treatment. The longer program was found to be more effective and less costly in the long run, but nonprogram factors were found to emphasize the importance of both the short-and the long-range approaches: the one to provide a long-range and thorough treatment for those who are ready for it, and the other to provide an effective and workable alternative to the criminal justice system.