A Therapeutic Community for Persistent Offenders: An Evaluation and Follow-up Study on the First Fifty Cases

Abstract

This is an evaluation of the first 50 persistent offenders admitted to the Clinton Diagnostic and Treatment Center (New York) where the method of treatment was re-education and resocialization through the development of relationships. The men were observed over sixty-four months, and their adjustment in liberty following release from the Center was compared with a control group who served their sentences in other prisons. The results showed that although the rate of recidivism was comparable in the two groups, there were qualitative differences both in personal adjustment and in the types of violation; the experimental group violated more frequently on technical grounds, whereas the control group had a higher incidence of new arrests. Mention has been made of the problems of evaluating and comparing such a group with a control group. As the aim of a therapeutic community is to make each individual aware of his behaviour and thus gain insight and motivation to seek help, each individual should act as his own control. Success or failure cannot be measured only by the presence or absence of recidivism; if these men seem happier with their lot, less alienated and succeed in maintaining themselves in freedom (either permanently or for longer periods of time than hitherto) this in itself could be a better indication of success than the legal criterion of whether or not they recidivated.