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Crest, is a "transitional TC," designed as a work release program. Inmates approaching their
release date are allowed to hold paying jobs in the community while spending their remaining time
in a community-based TC. The third stage (aftercare) is for released inmates who have completed
the first two stages and are living in the community under parole or other supervision. Aftercare
involves participation in an outpatient group and individual counseling, and offers the opportunity
to return to the work release TC for refiesher sessions.
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Evaluation studies contrasted 448 participants classified into four groups: (1) a
comparison group of work-release inmates who received HIV prevention education, but neither
prison-based nor community-based TC, (2) those who received primary treatment in the Key
alone, but no secondary or tertiary treatment, (3) participants in the Crest alone, and (4)
participants who received primary treatment in the Key and secondary treatment in the Crest
@
(Key-Crest). A complex research design utilizing a combination of random assignment, purposive
selection, and historical comparisons resulted in comparison groups that were somewhat
dissimilar (Inciardi et al., 1997:266):
First, assignment to the COMPARISON or CREST groups was determined by the
investigators by random number. Second, the COMPARISON and CREST groups include
men and women, whereas the KEY group does not-- until very recently, there was no
women's in-prison TC in Delaware. Third, because the determination of group
membership was made at the time of the baseline interview, those included in the KEY or
KEY-CREST groups were only those still in the KEY program at the time of their release,
graduates. The CREST and COMPARISON groups included all those so assigned at the
time of their release, regardless of actual attendance. Fourth, the KEY-only group
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This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not
been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.