Jail-Based Impact of Crime Intervention

Phase 2 RCT of Jail-Based Impact of Crime Intervention to Reduce Recidivism, Substance Abuse and HIV Risk Behavior

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the Impact of Crime (IOC) group intervention with jail inmates reduces post-release recidivism, substance abuse, and HIV risk behavior.

This project imports social-personality theory and research on moral emotions and cognitions to the applied problems of crime, substance abuse, and HIV risk behavior. The primary aim of this study, a Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT) of the restorative justice-inspired Impact of Crime (IOC) group intervention, is to examine the efficacy of treatment and to determine if changes in moral emotions and cognitions serve as mechanisms of action, explaining the impact of treatment involvement on reductions in post-release recidivism, substance abuse, and HIV risk behavior.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be 18 years or older
• Must be male
• Must be currently incarcerated jail inmate
• Must be sentenced
• Sentence must be short enough to serve out sentence at ADC
• Release date must follow projected final session of treatment
• Must speak, read, and write in English with sufficient proficiency to use workbook and participate in group sessions
• Must be assigned to the jail's "general population"

Exclusion Criteria:

• Actively psychotic
• Assigned "keep separate" from other group members