Are reoffense outcomes consistent with inmate and staff perceptions of therapeutic community practice? A mixed-methods analysis

Abstract

Mixed methods were used to assess recidivism and program fidelity in a prison-based therapeutic community (TC). Propensity score matching on demographic, general risk, and substance dependency ratings resulted in 83 TC participants being compared with 104 inmates on recidivism. Scales were used to rank TC use of community, feedback, confrontation, and other areas by a purposeful sample of senior TC inmates (n = 20), In addition, qualitative open-ended interview questions on TC programming features, quality, and operation were asked of the 20 TC inmates and TC staff (n = 14). General and violent recidivism were less for the TC group. Inmate scale ratings confirmed the presence of key TC features, as did open-ended responses.

Keywords:

• offender rehabilitation
• prison culture
• short-term prisoners
• therapeutic community
• mixed methods

Notes

1 For exceptions, see studies by Taxman and Bouffard (2002) and Gress and Arabsky (2010).

2 The Prairie province where the study took place has a disproportionate number of Indigenous Canadians incarcerated.

3 One of our reviewers asked about the equivalency of time served. The two groups had comparable sentence lengths: treatment group $\overline{\text{x}}$ = 200.3, SD = 101.0, comparison $\overline{\text{x}}$= 193.0, SD = 94.4, df = 185, t=.514, p < .610).