Does CBT Programming in Prison Reduce Misconduct and Post-Release Arrest? A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation

• In Event: Prison Based Programming and Outcomes in Reentry

Abstract

Institutional misconduct, especially violent misconduct, poses a problem for all prisons. This project tested whether three types of cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) programs that varied in intensity reduced misconduct and post-release arrests compared to a control group. The evaluation utilized entropy weighting techniques to compare samples of persons who participated in CBT based programing delivered in different formats: 1) Intensive outpatient, 2) long term residential, 3) short term residential and, 4) an outpatient DUI program. Analyses revealed that all methods had an impact with the more intensive CBT programs demonstrating more robust effects at reducing misconduct and post-release arrest compared to less intensive CBT programming and a control group. Situational considerations of implementing different programs are discussed, as well as the timing of program delivery.

Authors

• Emalie Rell, University of Delaware

• Daniel OConnell, Center for Drug and Health Studies, University of Delaware

• Christy Visher, University of Delaware

• Ellen Donnelly, Center for Drug and Health Studies, University of Delaware