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Therapeutic communities in prison to reduce re-incarceration rates and drug misuse relapse

Summary of the evidence

Rating
  • Likely to be beneficial

Therapeutic communities in prison (including aftercare or transitional programs and drug-free wings) were found in a systematic review without meta-analysis (Galassi et al., 2015, 14 studies, N =8245) to be more effective than control conditions in:

  • reducing re-incarceration rates (5 studies out of 7 found significant results)
  • reducing or preventing drug misuses relapse (7 studies out of 9 found positive results)

Details

Note: this evidence summary is only valid for the outcomes, target groups, settings and substances/patterns of use described below.

Name of response option
  • Therapeutic communities
Desired outcome(s)
  • reduce re-incarceration rates
  • reduce relapses
Area(s)
  • Treatment
Specific substance or pattern of use
  • opioids
Target group(s) or setting(s)
  • prison

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