Research Note: A Prison-Based Alcohol Use Education Program: Evaluation of a Pilot Study

Abstract

Northern Territory prisoners were followed up after release to determine the effect of an alcohol education course on their alcohol consumption, drinking group, disruptive behavior, criminal activity, family relationships, how they use their time, general health, ability to cope and take responsibility. Measures were obtained both from prisoners and key informants, and two groups of prisoners were compared: those who completed the course and others who had not done the course. A high level of correspondence was found between measures from key informants and prisoners. The prisoners attending the course showed significant improvements on all dimensions when compared to the control subjects.

Opportunities for health promotion in the Queensland women's prison system

“…A pilot alcohol use education program in the Northern Territory reported positive behaviour changes postrelease in prisoners who attended the course compared with the control group. 25 The Department of Corrective Services has a commitment to equity, and has developed policy that includes action to provide specific health promotion in the areas of cervical screening, nutrition, exercise and sun safety. 26 Through collaboration and partnerships, perhaps these health promotion commitments could be extended to encompass the target areas for Queensland women and so take advantage of these opportunities to improve the health of Queensland women prisoners.…”

A systematic review of evaluations of prison‐based alcohol and other drug use behavioural treatment for men

“…Year of publication: Twelve evaluations were published between 1995 and 2005 25–36 and 13 between 2006 and 2015 37–49 …”

“…Country of origin: Over half the evaluations were of programs in the United States ( n =15), 25–28,31–34,36,38,39,41,43,45,48 there were two each from Canada 37,46 and Taiwan, 29,47 and one each from Australia, 35 Croatia, 30 Japan, 40 Poland, 49 the United Kingdom (Wales), 44 and South Korea 42 …”

“…Format of treatment provided: Four treatment format modes were described: i) residential ( n =6); 25,26,28,29,37,38 ii) therapeutic prison ( n =3); 30,39,40 iii) therapeutic community ( n =8); 31–34,41–43,48 and iv) group treatment ( n =7) 35,36,44–47,49 …”

“…Treatment approach: Seven different treatment approaches were described: i) CBT, or a derivative such as cognitive social therapy ( n =8); 25,26,33,37,40,44,46,47 ii) self‐help, most commonly the Alcoholics Anonymous 12‐step program (n=7); 27–30,33,38,49 iii) psychoeducational approaches (n=6); 29,30,35,37,38,41 iv) a MATRIX model (n=2); 40,41 v) meditational approach (n=2); 39,47 vi) a computerised educational program (n=1); 45 and vii) a Native American therapeutic healing program (n=1) 36 . Several studies only described the treatment approach as being a TC with limited other detail given, even though a TC is not necessarily a treatment approach in the same way as the other treatments (n=7) 31–34,42,43,48 .…”