Washington State's Residential Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative
Problems addressed
Drug abuse
Effectiveness

Promising

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Promising

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Life periods served
Adults (18 to 59 years)
Where the program was applied
Residential - Mental health or therapeutic community services
Country of application
United States
Description

This is a redirection program for the treatment of adults in conflict with the law and with problems associated with substance use. The aim is to offer an alternative to incarceration through a residential service for treatment in the community.
Participation is voluntary, with the possibility of withdrawing at any time, but in this case they return to the prison system to serve out the remainder of their sentence. At the end of the residential treatment, offenders are followed up for two more years in outpatient services, under community supervision.

Impact evaluations

An impact assessment showed that participants in the program had a 52% reduction in recidivism compared to 58% in the control group, which did not receive the intervention, and this rate was statistically significant [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Drake, E. K., Fumia, D. & He, L. (2014). Washington’s Residential Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative: Recidivism & Cost Analysis (Documents núm. 14-12-1901). Olympia, WA. Washington State Institute for Public Policy. http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1577/Wsipp_Washingtons-Residential-D…

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