From Recidivism Reduction to Rehabilitation: Evaluating the Broader Effects of Prison-Based Drug Treatment

Substance abuse is prevalent among incarcerated people, prompting many correctional facilities to argue that providing active treatment to drug-involved offenders during their incarceration is of critical importance. When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of incarceration-based drug treatment programs, this typically focuses on outcome variables related to recidivism. Against this specific yardstick, the effectiveness of incarceration-based drug treatment programs in reducing recidivism remains inconsistent, despite their widespread use, highlighting the need to consider alternative outcome measures. This study focuses on the case of Israel, evaluating the impact of the country’s main incarceration-based drug treatment programs on recidivism rates, as well as on mortality rates and employment outcomes following release. We employed a quasi-experimental design to assess outcomes for both released incarcerated people who had participated in these drug treatment programs and a comparison group, tracking these outcomes five years after their release. Our results indicate that, overall, incarceration-based drug treatment programs had limited success in reducing recidivism over the five-year follow-up period. One exception was the Hermon program, known for its particularly comprehensive and intensive treatment, which did exert positive effects on reincarceration—albeit only in the first year after release. In contrast, despite the limited impact on reincarceration, we observed other promising, outcomes, including reduced mortality and improved integration into the job market. The study underlines the importance of adopting a broader outlook when assessing the effectiveness of incarceration-based drug treatment programs.