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Issues with Substance Abuse Assessment in Correctional Settings

© Michael Decaire

Issues with Substance Abuse Assessment in Correctional Settings

Substance abuse has long been associated with violence and criminal behavior. Lindqvist (1991) examined the criminal and substance abuse patterns of violent offenders who were alcohol abusers. In an extremely noteworthy finding, not a single offender identified as an alcohol-abuser was sober during the commission of their crime. This well replicated finding also generalizes beyond the extreme abuse population, with an evaluation of an incarcerated problem drinking population, but not necessarily alcohol dependent, indicating that 80% of offenders were intoxicated during their assaultive crimes (Mayfield, 1976). Studies showing the average consumption of ethanol during criminal acts are shockingly high, with an average alcohol intake equivalent to 18 beers (Beck et al., 1993).

The correctional component of the criminal justice system has the ethical and legal responsibility to provide valid assessments of incoming prisoners in order to identify potential disorders (Hart and Hemphill, 1989). Substance abuse assessment's help to identify an offender's treatment needs, so that they can be matched with an appropriate treatment and release risk management strategy. Over the past twenty years several clinicians and researchers have criticized the assessment procedures currently being used with correctional populations, stating that they are failing to adequately uphold these responsibilities (Shah, 1978; Monahan, 1981; Morris & Miller, 1985; Serin & Barbaree, 1993).

The increasingly large amount of drug abusing inmates in today's criminal justice system requires an expansion of drug treatment programs. The combination of these increasing numbers of substance abusers with institutional cutbacks force decisions to be made in regards to which inmates will receive treatment (Peters, 1992). In order to make such valid treatment decisions appropriate assessments must be carried out.

Assessment Strategies

Boland, Henderson, and Baker (1999) classified substance abuse measures along five dimensions. First is the simple screen, a short and concise test that looks for simply the presence or absence of a substance problem. The second dimension measured by many substance abuse tools elaborates on the extent and nature of the abuse. Thirdly, some assessment tools, meant to be used as repeated measures once treatment has been, go beyond the primary diagnostic measures and assess changes associated with the current treatment. The fourth type of assessment instrument is the much more comprehensive test batteries, which unlike the previously mentioned tools serve multiple purposes. Comprehensive batteries can identify the presence and severity of abuse, identify related needs, and aid in treatment planning. The final type of measures are the laboratory assessments, which are primary used as biological checks of current and chronic substance abuse, and subsequently have very little psychological usefulness.