Running head: EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

Evaluating Evidence In Social Work Practice Phase III

Kelly Talbert
Wayne State University
SW 3810

Professor Harrison
July 21, 2014
Evaluating Evidence In Social Work Practice Phase III
Statement of Problem
Successful reentry programs should show lesser rates of recidivism as compared to
alternative programs. How effective are prisoner reentry programs? Reentry programs are set in
place to provide incarcerated individuals successful reentry to society. The possible interventions
being considered are transitional jobs, cognitive behavioral programs, and also group therapy.
Research shows that group therapy programs are the most successful means of lessening
recidivism.
Research Design

Trail was conduct at Denver Womans Correctional Facility between January 2002 and
January 2006. The design used in this trail was prospective longitudinal, with repeated measures
and randomization. Colorado Department of Corrections identified inmates in need of treatment
for substance abuse. Those who consented to participate were divided into an experimental, the
therapeutic community program, a control group, the cognitive behavioral intervention, and an
intensive outpatient program. Due to changes in the randomization procedure the groups were
unequal, being 50/50 and 60/40 for the experimental and control group. In order to accommodate
for differences the amount of treatment slots available. The threat to the internal validity was the
integrity of the random design process, so a committee was created to assure the integrity of the
random design process comprised of a combination of researchers from the Colorado
Department of Corrections and Research Institute, Inc.
There was a noted difference in the intensity between therapeutic community and
intensive outpatient program treatment in that the therapeutic community program provides more
than 20 hours per week of a treatment environment for 6 months, whereas, the intensive
outpatient program consist of 6 hours per week for 16 weeks. One could hypothesize that
intensity rather than treatment type is responsible for the outcomes (Sacks et al., 2012).
Sampling
The sampling used in this study is Stratified Sampling. Stratified Sampling is a method
for obtaining a greater degree of representativeness-for decreasing the probable sampling error.
With stratified sampling, rather than selecting a sample from the total population at large, we
ensure that appropriate numbers of elements are drawn randomly from homogeneous subset of
that population ((Babbie & Rubin, 2013, p. 167). The participants were female offenders that
needed to meet all of the following, would be eligible for parolee by 6 months and no more than

EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

24 months; on file a Colorado Department of Corrections Standardized Offender Assessment

with a score of 4 or greater, acknowledging severe substance abuse problems that would require
treatment; noted security risk level with the classification of minimum, minimum-restricted, or
medium to permit participation in one of the treatments. The Standardized Offender Assessment
score could be obtained by a compilation of past treatment, arrest history (drug related), social
and emotional effects during drug use, and the expertise of a mental health practioner.
To participants were recruited within the first month that they entered Denver Womans
Correctional Facility. This study was offered to offenders new to the facility. The staff of
recruiters that would be preforming the research was introduced to eligible inmates in one on one
office visits to explain the study and obtain written consent.
Measurement
The measurement key variables in this study were to measure the effectiveness of the
prison therapeutic community substance-abuse treatment for female offenders. In attempts to
have an outcome largely show the effectiveness for the experimental group of female prisoners,
this article presented results in 13 primary outcome measures in 5 domains: crime, drug use,
mental health, trauma, and HIV-risk behavior. All measures refer to status or activity during the
first 12 months after prison release (Sacks et al., 2012). The findings may have been different if
the selection process was based on another set of criteria.

Data Collection
The data collections used were the official records obtained at the end of the study and
self-report measures obtained when the offenders entered into the prison program and study, also
precisely at the 6 and 12 months after an offender was released. Colorado Department of

EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

Corrections computerized resource is where they collected official reincarceration records. The
remainder of data was collected by use of self-reporting through the Center for the Integration of
Research and Practice interview protocol. The interview protocol included standardized
instruments such as the Center for Therapeutic Community Research Interview, the Beck
Depression Inventory Second Edition (BD1-11), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom
Scale-Interview version (PSS-1), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BS1), and the Trauma History
Questionnaire (THQ) (Sacks et al., 2012).
The advantages of the data collection were the option for the recruiter to meet with these
female offenders one on one to have private interviews and hopefully produce truthful answers.
It helped the recruiter to also have the offenders information readily available. The results may
have been different in the data if the recruiters had not been trained and the gender not specific to
only females.

Ethics and Cultural Considerations

The intervention on this article proved effective with the target population of female
offenders because all parties were allowed voluntary participation and given informed consent.
The treatment was also very effective, although the research had shown that group therapy had
the most success. Across the board results were great for both the therapeutic community
treatment program and the cognitive behavioral intervention, also that specific domains had
differences over short and long term follow-up.
The intervention activities and processes sensitive to the unique cultural characteristics of
the target population are, the fact that the participants are a minority (female) is still an issue. It

EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

was stated that females have many more needs than male prisoners and that the correctional
programs are more times than not, made for men with absolutely no change or different
accommodations because the target population is female.
Results and Implications
The results for both groups were very similar on all domains present, except for being motivated
for substance abuse treatment. Table 1 presents profile information to describe female inmates
determined to be in need of substance abuse treatment who agreed to participate in the study
(Sacks et al., 2012). Table 2 illustrates the comparative effectiveness of participation in a
therapeutic community program for female inmates in need of substance abuse treatment at 6 and
12 months after prison release. Significant treatment effects favoring the experimental group
condition in 4 to 5 outcome domains-crime, drug use, mental health and trauma exposure(Sacks
et al., 2012). Females that participate in both of the treatment conditions displayed great benefits
across outcome measures. After 12 months post prison two patterns had appeared experimental
group for the domain of criminal acts and illegal drug usage obtained by 6 month follow-up were
maintaining at 12 month as well. The domain for arrest and mental health symptomology
compared great effectiveness of the experimental group 6 month post prison release was
weakened at the 12 month follow-up. Also, a substantial treatment effect for trauma expose
favoring the experimental group was found at 12 month follow-up, although no differences were
evident at 6 months. It was found that the majority (83%) of female offenders in both groups
received community based substance abuse or mental health services during the 12 months after
prison release, with no difference between the 2 groups. When measures for post prison
substance use and mental health treatment utilization were controlled models, treatment effects
remained similar (Sacks et al., 2012).

EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

In conclusion the study presented effectiveness for women in prison based on treatment
and the therapeutic community treatment with success of reduction in drug usage, criminal acts,
exposure to trauma, increasing mental health function, also time until incarceration. Based on
the findings of the study, the policy and treatment communities should consider overall gains for
public safety, potential cost savings, and increased individual effectiveness and functioning over
time gleaned from providing gender-sensitive treatment for woman in prison especially
therapeutic community treatment alternatives (Sacks et al., 2012). In addition, there is the need
to continue to improve upon behavioral changes over a substantial amount of time for post
reentry for the female offender that the community sustains the importance to continue to
provide feasible services for these females being returned to the community, where they will start
new lives, some may have families and some may not. The key here is to continue to help with
resources for these women.
Information was obtained from the Purdy/ Kresge Library with the assistance of Social
Work Research Consultant Monique Oldfield. The article database for social work articles used
was PsycINFO; the keywords used were reentry programs. Top-down strategy was used to
initiate search, three articles were chosen. The article used, A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL
TRAIL OF A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY TREATMENT FOR FEMALE INMATES:
OUTCOMES AT 6 AND 12 MONTHS AFTER PRISION RELEASE.

EVALUATING EVIDENCE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE PHASE

References
Babbie, E., & Rubin, A. (2013). Essential research methods for social work (3rd ed.). Belmont,
CA: Brooks/Cole.
JoAnn Y. Sacks PhD, Karen McKendrick MPH & Zachary Hamilton PhD (2012) A Randomized
Clinical Trial of a Therapeutic Community Treatment for Female Inmates: Outcomes at 6 and 12
Months After Prison Release, Journal of Addictive Diseases, 31: 3, 258-269.