Examining participants' motivation to change in residential drug abuse program graduates: comparing "stages of change"assessment data with post-release status.

Abstract

This study examined the ability of three instruments designed to measure an individual's motivational readiness to change to predict successful postincarceration adjustment. It examined the post-release status of a sample of BOP inmates who completed the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP) at a low security federal correctional institution with their post-test RDAP scores on three "stages of change" instruments-the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA), the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) 8A (Alcohol), and SOCRATES 8D (Drugs). The questions that guided this study were: Do inmates' motivation to change from lifestyles of criminal and addictive behaviors increase or improve through their participation in prison-based treatment programs? If so, how do we know-what are the predictors of post-release rehabilitation? More specifically: Can an inmate's score on SOCRATES and URICA "stages of change" instruments, which are designed to measure an individual's motivation to change addictive behaviors, predict post-release rehabilitation, defined as remaining crime- and drug-free, and maintaining stable housing and employment? Which, if any, of these instrument scales predict post-release success? m Do other demographic variables predictive of post-release success emerge from the data? This study used post-release extant survey data obtained through each former inmate's probation district regarding participants' post-release status in regards to four factors the literature specifies as indicators of successful rehabilitation-remaining crime-free (recidivism), remaining abstinent from illicit substance use (relapse), maintaining stable employment, and maintaining stable housing. These four factors served as the response (dependent) variables. The individuals' post-treatment instrument scores (SOCRATES & URICA) sewed as the primary predictor (independent) variables, and various demographic data also served as predictor variables. Several factors were identified which were predictive of RDAP participants' successes or failure on supervised release (SR). One stages of change measure, the SOCRATES 8D (drug), was associated with criminality and employment instability. Participants' education level was associated with substance use, employment instability, and SR revocation, and participants' race was associated with employment and housing instability. Participants who were placed in RDAP failure status prior to SR (RDAP Failure-Outcome), had greater risk of criminality, substance use, and SR revocation, and they had greater odds of employment and housing instability. As anticipated, these participants performed more poorly on SR. In fact, RDAP failure was the most telling indicator of post-release failure and was found to be associated with every outcome indicator. Several suggestions and recommendations for further research and programming were provided.