DOI: 10.3886/icpsr09919
title: Deterring Drug Use With Intensive Probation in New Jersey, 1989-1990
title: Archival Version

description: These data were collected to measure the degree to which
 subjective deterrence and rational choice are effective in reducing
 drug-use recidivism rates. Baseline interviews were conducted with
 participants upon entering a drug rehabilitation program in New
 Jersey. Under the terms of this program, which was an alternative to
 prison, any incident of drug use occurring during the rehabilitation
 period would result in the participant's returning to
 prison. Follow-up interviews were conducted when the participant
 either had a drug/alcohol use relapse or successfully completed a year
 in the program without a drug-use incident. Baseline interviews
 included questions about criminal and drug-use history, as well as
 initial reactions to the drug rehabilitation program. Follow-up
 interviews probed for participants' feelings about the drug
 rehabilitation program experience. Further questions concerned
 participants' failure or success at staying away from drugs or
alcohol.
description: The Institute for Criminological Research
 conducted this study with the aim of gauging the degree to which
 subjective deterrence and rational choice affect drug-use
 recidivism. A secondary goal was to explore the effect of other social
 and psychological factors (e.g., those related to drug rehabilitation
 counseling) upon drug-use recidivism. The Intensive Supervision
 Program (ISP) in New Jersey was chosen because participants were aware
 that new drug-use incidents would most likely result in a return to
 prison. The main hypotheses of this study maintained that drug use in
 ISP was an inverse function of both the degree to which participants
 preferred ISP to prison and of the participants' belief that drug use
would result in a return to prison.
description: The Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) was chosen
 for this study because participants in ISP were generally aware that
 new drug-use incidents would result in punishment, possibly including
 a return to prison. All participants who entered the program between
 January 1, 1989, and April 30, 1990, were potential
 interviewees. Interviews were conducted a few weeks after the
 individual's arrival in the program. The aim was to interview
 participants once they had begun to settle into the program, but
 before any drug-use recidivism had occurred. Follow-up interviews were
 conducted when the participant either relapsed or successfully
completed a year drug-free.
description: Interviews covered participants' feelings about the
 Intensive Supervision Program, risk of and reasons for drug-use
recidivism, and history of alcohol and drug use.
description: Response Rates: Successful baseline interviews were completed
 with 516, or 94.5 percent, of the 546 felons. Follow-up interviews
 were conducted and completed with 128 out of 158, or 81 percent, of
 participants who tested positive for drugs and 38 out of 76, or 50
 percent, of those who screened positive for alcohol. Of the program
 participants who had no positive urine screens for at least a year,
 follow-up interviews were conducted and completed with 84 out of 107,
or 78.5 percent.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: All individuals who entered the Intensive Supervision
 Program in New Jersey between January 1, 1989, and April 30, 1990,
were interviewed.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Deterring Drug Use With Intensive Probation in New Jersey, 1989-1990
description: Individuals in the Intensive Supervision Program in New
Jersey.
description: The codebook and user guide are provided by ICPSR as a
 Portable Document Format (PDF) file. 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.