DOI: 10.3886/icpsr03153
title: Process Evaluation of the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program at the South Idaho Correctional Institution, 1999-2000
title: Archival Version

description: This study is a process evaluation of a Residential
Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program at the South Idaho
Correctional Institution (SICI), addressing the following research
questions: (1) Did the SICI RSAT program as delivered conform with its
stated goals and objectives? (2) Did the program result in reduced
recidivism, abstinence from drug and alcohol use, and reduced costs of
incarceration? (3) Did the referral process identify the targeted
population? (4) Would the SICI RSAT data, management, staffing, and
design be suitably established within two years to allow for a full
outcome evaluation? (5) Were there communication issues among the
IDOC, Parole Commission, and contract providers that might interfere
with program implementation and delivery? and (6) Were there any
cooperative remedies that had been, or might be developed to address
implementation and delivery difficulties? Researchers conducted field
observations (Part 1, Observational Data) of program delivery by
program leaders using both the Cognitive Change Program Module and the
Minnesota Model-Based Chemical Dependency Treatment Modules in each of
the three phases of the therapeutic community environment. Researchers
administered questionnaires to inmates (Part 2, Inmate Interview Data)
and staff (Part 3, Staff Interview Data) regarding their perceptions
of program operations. Variables for Part 1 include the date and time
of observation, nature of observation, clarity, organization, and
substance of program delivery, the program leader's involvement and
the quality of that involvement with inmates, how prepared the program
leader was, and the general therapeutic atmosphere of the
program. Demographic variables for Part 2 include the race, age,
ethnicity, and level of education of each inmate. Other variables
include use of alcohol and illegal drugs prior to incarceration,
inmates' perceptions of the treatment personnel, their levels of
involvement with the group meetings and cognitive self-change groups,
the atmosphere of therapy, ratings of communication and delivery of
treatment, quality of service, and the strengths and weaknesses of the
RSAT program. Variables for Part 3 include staff's perceptions of the
RSAT program and whether they felt the program content and delivery
were well organized and easy to understand, perceptions of the program
leader's preparation and involvement, perceptions of communication and
consistency issues, the quality of service, and the strengths and
weaknesses of the RSAT program.
description: Establishing effective methodologies to achieve
 habilitation and rehabilitation of persons prone to substance abuse
 and subsequent involvement in high-risk and crime-related activities
 is key in reducing the incidence of crime. The literature on substance
 abuse and related programming is replete with research evaluations
 that indicate successful treatment programming can be designed and
 implemented in the correctional environment. The Residential Substance
 Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program at the South Idaho Correctional
 Institution (SICI), which began accepting inmate clients in May 1997,
 was designed to fill some of the need for substance abuse treatment
 for Idaho correctional populations. The program was actually delivered
 by the Boise Care Unit (Compcare), a private contract provider of
 alcohol/drug treatment. A unique characteristic of the program was
 that parole violators with substance abuse problems were targeted for
 treatment. Additionally, the Idaho Parole Commission and the Idaho
 Department of Corrections (IDOC) were engaged in a cooperative
 arrangement whereby successful completion of the program was likely to
 result in an inmate receiving a parole date. This agreement also
 extended to the involvement of the parole revocation hearing officer
 in the selection of candidates for the program. This study is a
 process evaluation of a RSAT program at the SICI, addressing the
 following research questions, (1) Did the SICI RSAT program as
 delivered conform with its stated goals and objectives? (2) Did the
 program result in reduced recidivism, abstinence from drug and alcohol
 use, and reduced costs of incarceration? (3) Did the referral process
 identify the targeted population? (4) Would the SICI RSAT data,
 management, staffing, and design be suitably established within two
 years to allow for a full outcome evaluation? (5) Were there
 communication issues among the IDOC, Parole Commission, and contract
 providers that might interfere with program implementation and
 delivery? and (6) Were there any cooperative remedies that had been,
 or might be developed to address implementation and delivery
difficulties?
description: The RSAT program design included an intensive 9-
 to 12-month treatment regimen for chronic substance abusers that
 addressed both addiction and criminality in a structured therapeutic
 environment. An important and distinguishing feature of the RSAT plan
 was the use of a combination of modalities including cognitive self
 and behavioral change and 12-step programming in a curriculum that was
 divided into three-month phases. Researchers conducted field
 observations (Part 1) of program delivery by program leaders using
 both the Cognitive Change Program Module and the Minnesota Model-Based
 Chemical Dependency Treatment Modules in each of the three phases of
 the therapeutic community environment. The Cognitive Change Program
 Module was based on cognitive self-change and behavioral strategies
 that provided inmates with the ability to consider the thinking errors
 that led to substance use/abuse and to provide them with the means to
 move down an alternate and less self-destructive path. Inclusion of
 the Minnesota Model of Chemical Dependency (a 12-step program) was
 also key to the RSAT regimen. The components of this aspect of the
 program included the use of group meetings and the use of recovering
 alcoholics/addicts as counselors. The program also utilized individual
 counseling with professional staff, lectures, group reading, life
 history work, 12-step work, and recreational and physical
 activity. Researchers administered a questionnaire to inmates (Part 2)
 regarding their perceptions of program operations. The questionnaire
 was designed to measure the inmates' perceptions of the RSAT
 program. A questionnaire was also administered to SICI staff (Part 3)
 regarding their perceptions of program operations. This questionnaire
 allowed staff to anonymously comment on all aspects of the program
 content, delivery, and effect. The 75-item questionnaire also included
 an open-ended section for further commentary. The survey instrument
 was developed in light of research regarding the appropriate content
 and delivery of substance abuse programming in a therapeutic
environment.
description: Variables for Part 1 include the date and time of
 observation, nature of observation, clarity, organization, and
 substance of program delivery, the program leader's involvement and
 the quality of that involvement with inmates, how prepared the program
 leader was, and the general therapeutic atmosphere of the
 program. Demographic variables for Part 2 include the race, age,
 ethnicity, and level of education of each inmate. Other variables
 include use of alcohol and illegal drugs prior to incarceration,
 inmates' perceptions of the treatment personnel, their levels of
 involvement with the group meetings and cognitive self-change groups,
 the atmosphere of therapy, ratings of communication and delivery of
 treatment, quality of service, and the strengths and weaknesses of the
 RSAT program. Variables for Part 3 include staff's perceptions of the
 RSAT program and whether they felt the program content and delivery
 were well organized and easy to understand, perceptions of the program
 leader's preparation and involvement, perceptions of communication and
 consistency issues, the quality of service, and the strengths and
weaknesses of the RSAT program.
description: Response Rates: Not applicable.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: Not applicable.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Observational Data
DS2: Inmate Interview Data
DS3: Staff Interview Data
description: Individuals (staff and inmates) involved with the
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program at the South Idaho
Correctional Institution.
description: The user guide, codebook, and data collection
instruments are provided by ICPSR as Portable Document Format (PDF)
files. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated
and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe
Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat
Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.