Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Deborah Koetzle

Committee Members

Jeff Mellow

Hung-En Sung

Virginia Barber-Rioja

Subject Categories

Criminology | Criminology and Criminal Justice

Keywords

alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, community treatment, treatment setting, violence

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of alternatives to incarceration (ATI) for individuals with co-occurring disorders in recent decades, little is known about comparative styles of treatment used in this context. The following study uses data from a case management service in a large urban city (n=273) where several types of treatment are utilized in the ATI landscape. Specifically, this study compares ATI completion rates and time to completion or failure for several styles of treatment: clinic-based outpatient, residential, assertive community treatment (ACT) and personalized recovery-oriented services (PROS) programs. Results of a logistic regression indicate that individuals initially referred to residential treatment had a significantly lower rate of completion (73% less) compared to participants initially referred to outpatient treatment when controlling for demographics, recidivism risk scores, and clinical needs scores at intake. This trend was upheld when considering any residential exposure throughout the ATI mandate. A moderation analysis supports that the presence of a violent charge explains a significant portion of this variance for individuals in residential settings. Time to completion was not significantly predicted by treatment type. Limitations, policy implications, and future directions are discussed.

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