In recent years, a variety of TC-oriented program models have been adapted for incarcerated substance abusers in prison settings. This development has been fostered by overcrowded prisons, the influx of drug offenders, and the documented success of an early TC prison model in reducing recidivism to crime and relapse to drug use.

Modifications of the TC model for prisons are shaped by the unique features of the correctional institution, e.g., its focus on security, its goal of early release, its limited physical and social space, and the prison culture itself. Nevertheless, experience and research shows that peer-managed communities for social learning can be successfully established for the substance abusers who enter these prison-based programs. A prominent feature of modified prison models is the mutual involvement of correctional officers and prison administrators and mental health and TC treatment professionals. For participants who leave these prison TCs, models for continuance of recovery have recently been established outside the walls in TC-oriented halfway houses.

The Need for Standards

The diversity of programs within the TC modality in general and within the correctional system in particular underscores the need for standards that treatment programs in correctional settings have labeled themselves TCs. Whether these are valid or even similar TC models is often unclear. In addition to these broad issues, there are pragmatic reasons for developing standards for TC prison programs, which include: maintaining quality assurance and best practices in TCs; guiding staff training; and evaluating the effectiveness and cost benefit of TC treatment in prison. Also, explicit program standards are essential criteria for formal accreditation and licensure efforts.