An Evaluation of Six Brief Interventions That Target Drug-Related Problems in Correctional Populations

Abstract

Finding brief effective treatments for criminal justice populations is a major public need. The CJ-DATS Targeted Intervention for Corrections (TIC), which consists of six brief interventions (communication, anger, motivation, criminal thinking, social networks, and HIV/sexual health), was tested in separate federally-funded randomized control studies. In total, 1,573 criminal justice-involved individuals from 20 correction facilities participated (78 % males; 54 % White). Multilevel repeated measures analyses found significant gains in knowledge, attitudes, and psychosocial functioning (criteria basic to knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) and TCU treatment process models). While improvements were less consistent in criminal thinking, overall evidence supported efficacy for the TIC interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• adaptive treatment
• brief interventions
• CJ-DATS
• criminal justice treatment
• TCU treatment model
• Tier 1 treatment

Notes

Note. CEST = Client evaluation of self and treatment; CTS = Criminal Thinking Scales.

†p < .10. *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001. ****p < .0001.