0 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

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Procedures
Inmates were identified and selected for comparison and treatment groups using the
criteria described above. Based on current and new admissions to TC, we aimed for a treatment
sample of about 362. We included in our treatment sample all current TC residents as of January
1,2000. We then added new subjects to the study (new admissions after January 1,2000) as they
were admitted to treatment programs. For previously admitted TC residents, we had a limited
i
amount of time to collect institutional and intermediate measures (e.g., responses to and
perceptions of treatment, psychosocial and social hctioning) before any inmates graduated the
program. However, we were still able to collect basic process (C.g., admission and discharge
dates, inmate characteristics) and outcome data (reincarceration, rearrest and drug relapse) for
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this cohort, and thus maximize our sample size.
With a combined TC capacity of 362 and an anticipated attrition rate of about 20%, we
expected an initial sample of about 450 TC inmates over the one-year data collection period. We
expected a final sample of about 360 inmates to have completed TC treatment prior to their
release fiom prison. Using oversampling to reduce higher anticipated attrition fiom less intensive
Education and Outpatient programs (perhaps as high as 50%), we aimed for an initial comparison
sample of about 1,350 inmates, with no less than 675 expected to complete the programs they
were assigned to.
Al inmates in the treatment and comparison groups had previously undergone initial
assessment via the normal DOC inmate classification system. Inmates in both groups also
completed the Pennsylvania Corrections Screening Instrument (PACSI), the TCU Drug Screen,
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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.