10.1177/0032885505283871The Prison JournalMosher, Phillips / Prison-Based Therapeutic Community The Dynamics of a Prison-Based Therapeutic Community for Women Offenders Retention, Completion, and Outcomes

Research has demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between sub-stance abuse and various forms of criminal activity and that drug treatment is effective in reducing crime among substance abusers. Yet, there is a large dis-crepancy between the number of individuals in the criminal justice system who need treatment and the number of treatment slots available. Indications are that women offenders are even more underserviced with respect to drug treatment than are male offenders. Qualitative data are used here to examine the day-to-day operations of a prison-based therapeutic community for women offenders, with a particular focus on external constraints on the community. Quantitative data are used to examine completion rates and outcomes for women in the pro-gram, yielding a clear inference that the program was effective in reducing recidivism among its participants