Psychosocial functioning among inmates in prison-based drug treatment: results from Project BRITE

Abstract

Objective To assess the impact of a positive behavioral reinforcement intervention on psychosocial functioning of inmates over the course of treatment and on post-treatment self-reported measures of treatment participation, progress, and satisfaction. Method Male (n = 187) and female (n = 143) inmates participating in 12-week prison-based Intensive Outpatient (IOP) drug treatment were randomly assigned to receive standard treatment (ST) or standard treatment plus positive behavioral reinforcement (BR) for engaging in targeted activities and behaviors. Participants were assessed for psychosocial functioning at baseline and at the conclusion of treatment (post-treatment). Self-reported measures of treatment participation, treatment progress, and treatment satisfaction were also captured at post-treatment. Results The intervention affected female and male subjects differently and not always in a way that favored BR subjects, as compared to the ST subjects, most notably on measures of depression and criminal thinking. Conclusions Possible explanations for the results include differences in the male and female custody environments combined with the procedures that study participants had to follow to earn and/or receive positive reinforcement at the two study sites, as well as baseline differences between the genders and a possible floor effect among females on measures of criminality. Limitations of the study included the inability to make study participants blind to the study conditions and the possible over-branding of the study, which may have influenced the results.

Effectiveness of Using Incentives to Improve Parolee Admission and Attendance in Community Addiction Treatment

“…This study, combined with our earlier findings (Prendergast et al, 2008; Hall et al, 2009) and those of others (Letourneau, McCart, Asuzu, Mauro, & Sheidow, 2013; Marlowe et al, 2008) involving a variety of criminal justice populations, seem to indicate that CM does not result in sustained abstinence or improved attendance with offenders. In a study evaluating the use of incentives in a prison-based treatment program (Burdon, De Lore, Dang, Warda, & Prendergast, 2013), the results showed little evidence of a consistent and strong impact of incentives on during-treatment measures of psychosocial functioning and treatment participation. The results of that study indicated that the intervention affected female and male participants differently and with some variables in the opposite direction of what was expected.…”

Intervenções Psicológicas em Contexto Prisional: Revisão Sistemática

“…Partindo disso, pode-se considerar que as intervenções acima citadas abordam a garantia de direitos e humanização da pena (ONU, 2015) através de aspectos atinentes aos processos de saúde e doença. Considerando uma perspectiva cronológica, faz sentido que a realização de tais intervenções deveriam anteceder a ocorrência das intervenções focadas em reabilitação psicossocial (Burdon et al, 2013;Hunter et al, 2016;Morgan et al, 2014;Pettus-Davis et al, 2016). Chama atenção que tais intervenções foram avaliadas a partir de uma perspectiva eminentemente qualitativa e apresentaram resultados promissores, tendo sido avaliadas de forma positiva pelos participantes.…”

“…Foram localizados quatro estudos (Burdon et al, 2013;Hunter et al, 2016;Morgan et al, 2014;Pettus-Davis et al, 2016) sobre intervenções focadas na reinserção e reabilitação psicossocial. Morgan et al (2014) avaliaram o programa Transformando Vidas e Mudando Resultados, desenvolvido nos Estados Unidos, em uma prisão psiquiátrica.…”

“…Ambos os estudos, de cunho qualitativo, apresentaram como resultado a satisfação dos participantes, através de falas representativas apresentadas nos respectivos artigos. Por fim, Burdon et al (2013), também nos Estados Unidos, referiu sobre um estudo piloto de uma intervenção positiva de reforço comportamental, a partir da realização de sessões de grupo, por 12 semanas. Um dos principais resultados deste estudo de caso foi que os participantes referiram a importância de sentirem-se ouvidos pelos profissionais.…”

The Effects of Repeated Exposure to the ARRAY Program With Offenders With Mental Illness

“…Homework assignments (e.g., tracking of distress reactions, practicing new coping responses, and creating depictions of their potential future prosocial lifestyle) supplement in‐group discussions and encourage participants to use the model outside sessions with custody staff, other inmates, family, and significant others. Fifth, in the final session activity, participants recognized others' contribution to the session with stickers of cartoon characters and positive sayings as a behavioral reinforcer and contingency management device (Burdon, St. De Lore, Dang, Warda, & Prendergast, ). Participants also completed an instrument that facilitators used to assess and monitor participants' distress symptoms present at the end of the session.…”