This article summarizes previous literature on the needs of substance-abusing women offenders and presents the main findings of a nationwide survey of community-based and corrections-based treatment programs for women offenders and of site visits to such programs. Several program characteristics were found that pose obstacles to women's entry and successful involvement in treatment: absence of child care, especially among programs for both men and women; restrictive screening instruments that deny access to, for example, pregnant women and women with mental impairment; and needs assessment protocols that lack comprehensive standards, resulting in a failure to properly perceive women's needs and provide, or refer to, appropriate services. To effectively address the problems of drug abuse, drug-related health problems, and drug-related criminal activity among women, programs should move toward a system-oriented approach to service delivery that emphasizes linkage of criminal justice agencies, drug treatment programs, and social service agencies to arrange for the crucially needed ancillary services that must complement drug treatment to promote lasting change.
Forever Free is an in-prison, residential, substance abuse treatment program employing a cognitive-behavioral curriculum designed for women. To assess this treatment model, 215 study volunteers in prison were recruited (119 treatment, 96 comparison); a 1-year follow-up was completed with 180 women (101 treatment, 79 comparison). Recidivism, drug use, and employment were examined. Bivariate analyses showed that treated women had significantly fewer arrests, less drug use, and greater employment. Cox regression analysis of time to reincarceration revealed that those with more lifetime arrests had a significantly increased risk of reincarceration; treatment group members and older subjects showed a trend toward decreased risk. Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment group membership and greater age predicted a lowered likelihood of drug use; heroin as the primary drug predicted a greater likelihood of use; and increased days in postrelease treatment and higher levels of education predicted employment.Although drug use and addiction among women have historically been lower than that of men, recent data show that drug use among women is reaching parity with that of men (Substance Abuse and Mental Health
This article reports on an evaluation of the community residential phase of a prison-based program for drug-using women, the Forever Free Substance Abuse Program at the California Institute for Women. Three groups were interviewed: graduates from Forever Free who entered residential treatment, graduates who did not enter residential treatment, and women who applied to Forever Free but were not able to enter. The study assessed treatment experiences, needs and services received, and drug use and parole outcomes 1 year after the women were released from prison. Briefly, findings indicate that the women's needs for relapse prevention training and drug treatment were not met, women often did not complete treatment, and women who participated in community residential treatment had lower self-reported drug use rates and higher levels of successful parole discharge than women in the other two groups. Multiple needs beyond drug treatment must be addressed to increase treatment entry and improve retention in programs.
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