Re-Entry MTC for Offenders With MICA Disorders - 1

Offenders having both mental illness and chemical abuse (MICA) disorders are a population of
interest, in part because their special needs place exceptional demands on criminal justice
and treatment systems, as well as on individuals and families. This study examines the
crucial point of transition from prison to the community, where continued treatment for
offenders is generally considered necessary to sustain gains made by prison treatment
efforts, and to achieve successful outcomes. The project has two specific aims; Aim 1 is to
test the effectiveness of Re entry MTC treatment relative to a control condition, and Aim 2
is to assess the relative impact on treatment outcomes of the type of treatment received
while in prison and of the progress achieved in re-entry treatment.

On their release from prison, male offenders with MICA disorders who elect to participate in
this study (N = 332), will be placed in either the experimental condition, (E) Re-entry
Modified Therapeutic Community (Re-entry MTC) or the control condition, (C) Parole
Supervision and Case Management currently provided, using a randomized block assignment
procedure. The research employs a prospective, longitudinal, repeated measures assessment
with five data collection points: baseline (Time 1, or T1) corresponding to entry into the
Community Corrections facility and at 3 (T2), 6 (T3), 12 (T4), and 18 (T5) months
post-baseline. The major study hypothesis is that the E condition (compared to the C
condition) will produce significantly greater improvement in the presenting problems of the
study participants, as measured by substance use, mental health symptoms, and criminal
activities.

This project will advance scientific knowledge through a controlled study of the
effectiveness of the MTC model, with demonstrated success in community settings, as a
re-entry strategy for offenders with MICA disorders, thereby expanding the range of
treatment models available to such clients in the community. In addition, the study will
examine the degree to which prior prison treatment moderates the effectiveness of the
Re-entry MTC, or the extent to which positive outcomes are independent of the type of
treatment received during the prior incarceration. This distinction will inform program
planning by establishing the value of MTC treatment in prison plus MTC during re-entry
versus MTC re-entry treatment alone. Finally, the study tests a specific hypothesis about
the degree to which the effectiveness of Re-entry MTC treatment is mediated by client
progress during reentry, which will increase our understanding of the relationship between
progress in treatment and post-treatment outcomes for offenders with MICA disorders.