Treatment Needs and Completion of Community-Based Aftercare Among Substance-Abusing Women Offenders
Women's Health Issues Article in Press, 4 June 2007




This paper explores the correlates of treatment needs among a sample of women offenders with substance-abuse problems and the relationship between their treatment needs and other background characteristics with completion of community-based treatment after parole.

Greater treatment needs were associated with unstable housing before incarceration, a history of sexual or physical abuse, mental health problems, alcohol or drug dependence, and first arrest at age <19; lower treatment needs were associated with having been mandated to prison-based treatment (versus volunteering).

Mental health problems and earlier age at first arrest predicted treatment noncompletion. Drug dependence was associated with higher treatment needs and a greater likelihood of treatment completion, whereas African American and Hispanic ethnicity were both associated with lower treatment needs (compared with Whites) and a lower likelihood of treatment completion.

Interventions are needed to engage substance-abusing women offenders in community treatment after parole to address their treatment needs, improve their retention in treatment, and reduce the likelihood of recidivism

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Reprint Request E-mail: grella@ucla.edu

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