DOI: 10.3886/icpsr02975
title: Process Evaluation of the Michigan Department of Corrections Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Program, 1999
title: Archival Version

description: This study was a process evaluation of the Michigan
 Department of Corrections' (MDOC) residential substance abuse treatment
 (RSAT) program at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson,
 Michigan. The 272-bed program was designed to treat male,
 minimum-custody inmates with a history of serious chemical dependency.
 The phase of treatment at the Jackson Cooper Street facility lasted six
 months, and was followed by a 12-month aftercare component. The main
 theory of change behind the program was that education about drugs and
 their physical, familial, and social effects, coupled with opportunities
 to learn about recovery and identify triggers for substance use, would
 help substance-abusing offenders to avoid both substance abuse and
 criminal behaviors once released into the community. This study used
 multiple data sources. Part 1, Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC)
 Data, was acquired from the MDOC's Correctional Management Information
 System, which included demographic, criminal history, programming, and
 institutional misconduct information for a snapshot of the entire inmate
 population. These data provided information on all 44,061 inmates in the
 custody of MDOC on July 1, 1999. Part 2, RSAT Applications data,
 contains data for the 834 applications received by August 30, 1999.
 These data were received from University of Michigan (UM) researchers
 studying the long-term impact of the RSAT program on offender substance
 abuse and recidivism. The data were collected using a screening form
 for each application, and were initially generated and entered into an
 electronic format by RSAT program staff. Part 3, Service Tracking Data,
contains RSAT admission and parole data, which were manually collected.
description: This study was a process evaluation of the Michigan
 Department of Corrections (MDOC) residential substance abuse treatment
 (RSAT) program at the Cooper Street Correctional Facility in Jackson,
 Michigan. The 272-bed program was designed to treat male,
 minimum-custody inmates with a history of serious chemical dependency.
 The phase of treatment at the Jackson Cooper Street facility lasted six
 months, and was followed by a 12-month aftercare component. The
 in-custody phase of treatment was guided by a standardized,
 cognitively-based curriculum created by Ken Wanberg and Harvey Milkman,
 "Strategies for Self Improvement and Change." The main theory of change
 behind the program was that education about drugs, and their physical,
 familial, and social effects, coupled with opportunities to learn about
 recovery and identify triggers for substance use, would help
 substance-abusing offenders to avoid both substance abuse and criminal
 behaviors once released into the community. The overall goals of this
 research were to (1) conduct a process evaluation that examined the
 integrity of program implementation, and (2) make specific
 recommendations with regard to program structure and eligibility
 criteria that could better prepare the program for an impact evaluation.
 The major areas of focus included: (1) program context, including
 program design, agencies contributing to its development, costs, and
 operating assumptions regarding criminal behavior and the treatment of
 addiction, (2) program goals, including compatibility, clarity, and
 measurability of goals, operating assumptions and selection of
 participants, and the level of buy-in from key stakeholders, (3)
 selection criteria, including stated criteria and their operation,
 profile of applicants versus the larger pool of eligible inmates, rates
 of program completion, and frequency and reasons for dropouts and
 terminations, (4) program intervention, including comparison between
 program's design and its form once it became operational, type,
 intensity, and duration of services and the degree to which treatment
 standards have been realized, and (5) interagency linkages, including
 level of cooperation and coordination among agencies actively involved
 in program delivery and the relationship between the program and the
Michigan Parole Board.
description: This study used multiple data sources. Part 1, MDOC
 Data, was acquired from the MDOC's Correctional Management Information
 System, which included demographic, criminal history, programming, and
 institutional misconduct information for a stock snapshot of the entire
 inmate population. These data, which were cleaned and audited by the
 researchers, provided information on all 44,061 inmates in the custody
 of MDOC on July 1, 1999. Part 2, RSAT Applications data, contains data
 for the 834 applications received by August 30, 1999. These data were
 received from University of Michigan (UM) researchers doing a project on
 the long-term impact of the RSAT program on offender substance abuse and
 recidivism. The data were collected using a screening form for each
 application, and were initially generated and entered into an electronic
 format by RSAT program staff. Specific goals and parameters had been
 developed for each project to ensure that MDOC and program staff were
 not overwhelmed by requests for data and access to the RSAT program. UM
 researchers cleaned and audited Part 2 data for consistency and
 completeness. Part 3, Service Tracking Data, contains RSAT admission and
parole data, which were manually collected.
description: Part 1, Michigan Department of Corrections Data,
 variables include date of birth, race, location, earliest release date
 (ERD), age, offense categories, statute reference, offense group,
 sentence, truth-in-sentencing condition, whether admitted to RSAT, date
 admitted, and other demographic, criminal history, programming, and
 insititutional misconduct variables. Part 2, RSAT Applications Data,
 variables include date application reviewed, disposition of case, year
 the applicant was born, sex, race, ERD, reason for incarceration,
 whether ERD was within six to 18 months, whether applicant was a
 non-violent offender, whether applicant had a substance abuse history,
 mental health issues, and appropriate MDOC security level for RSAT
 program, age at screening, whether admitted, date admitted, whether
 included in Part 3 data, type of parole action, projected release date,
 date of graduation, type of discharge from program, and several derived
 variables. Part 3, Service Tracking Data, variables include housing
 unit, date of transfer to unit, hours and number of sessions for case
 conferences, psychoactive substance education, thinking skills,
 interactive group therapy, individual counseling, case management, and
 all treatment types, Phase One start date, Phase Two start date, Phase
 Three start date, Phase Three end date, discharge type, weeks in each
 phase, weeks in unit prior to program start, total weeks for those who
finished Phase Three, and average hours per week.
description: Response Rates: Not applicable.
description: Presence of Common Scales: None.
description: To be eligible for the RSAT program inmates must have been (1) 
 within 12 to 18 months of earliest release date (ERD) at application and within 
 six to 12 months of ERD at admission, (2) non-violent offenders, (3) classified
 as requiring minimum custody, (4) meet the DSM-IV diagnosis for substance
 abuse or dependency, and (5) free of physical or mental health issues that
would prevent full participation.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Michigan Department of Corrections Data
DS2: RSAT Applications Data
DS3: RSAT Service Tracking Data
description: Male inmates in the custody of the Michigan Department of 
Corrections in 1999.
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