Recovery Management Checkups for Women Offenders

Recovery Management Checkups for Women Offenders Experiment

The proposed study is designed to test the effectiveness of recovery management checkups for women offenders (RMC-WO) released from jail to provide continuity of care immediately upon release and to help them manage their long-term recovery. The hypotheses in the first phase were: 1)women assigned to RMC (versus control) will a) return to treatment sooner after the initial release from jail and b) be more likely to receive treatment in the 90 days after release from jail; 2)women who received treatment in the first 90 days post release (vs. no treatment) will be more likely to sustain their abstinence through 90 days post release from a) any alcohol or drugs, b) alcohol, c) cannabis, d) cocaine, and e) opiates; 3)women who maintained their abstinence from any alcohol and other drugs through the first 90 days post release (vs. any relapse) will be less likely to have a) unprotected sex, b) commit any other illegal activity, and d) be re-incarcerated in jail or prison. In the second phase repeated exposure to these efforts on a quarterly basis is expected to further strengthen each of these effects.

The components of the recovery management checkups will include: on-going monitoring via a re-entry meeting, two monthly meetings and quarterly assessments for 3 years, personalized feedback on substance use and high risk behaviors, linkage to community-based substance abuse treatment (when needed), on-site HIV booster sessions (when needed), and treatment engagement and retention support. Motivational interviewing will provide the therapeutic approach to transition women from one step of the change process to another. Combined, these components and therapeutic milieu afford an opportunity for immediate linkage to community-based treatment and HIV prevention as well as ongoing monitoring for relapse and early re-intervention for both substance use and HIV risk behaviors (both public health priorities).

Phase 1

Inclusion Criteria:

• adult women offenders with substance problems re-entering the community from county jail programs

Exclusion Criteria:

• had not used substances in the 90 days before incarceration
• had no abuse/dependence symptoms
• were under 18 years old
• lived or planned to move outside Chicago within the next 12 months
• were not fluent in English or Spanish
• were cognitively unable to provide informed consent and were released before the 14th day of incarceration Phase 2

Inclusion Criteria:

• released to the community
• agreed to participate in the study
• completed the initial interview