Inmate perceptions of residential substance abuse treatment programming

Drug and alcohol use and abuse are responsible for many social ills, including an association with criminal involvement and repeat offending. The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program at the South Idaho Correctional Institution (SICI) is designed to fill a need for treatment of substance-abusing parole violators. RSAT program design includes a 9-12 month treatment regimen for chronic substance abusers that addresses addiction and criminality. The intent is to create a structured therapeutic environment with three treatment modalities, including cognitive self-change, behavioral, and 12-step programming. In this paper we present the findings from a questionnaire in which we queried inmates regarding their perceptions of the RSAT programming. We found that those inmates enrolled in the first and/or the third phase of the treatment tended to be more positive in their perceptions of program content, the therapeutic atmosphere and the quality of services provided than were those in the middle, or second phase of treatment. Paradoxically, we also found that there was a negative relationship between those with most months in the program and their perceptions of it while those with the most serious pattern of alcohol abuse tended to perceive the program more positively.