Date of Award
Spring 6-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Criminal Justice
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Hung-En Sung
Second Reader
Sung-Suk Violet Yu
Abstract
This study aims to determine the most effective approach for reducing recidivism among drug offenders, comparing incarceration with treatment. Two hypotheses were formulated for this research: 1) Drug offenders undergoing residential treatment will experience lower recidivism rates compared to those sentenced to incarceration. 2) Extended therapeutic treatment is more likely to positively influence behavior change among drug abusers compared to longer prison sentences. These hypotheses were tested using data from 263 participants in the Drug Treatment Alternative-to-Prison (DTAP) program, analyzed through logistic regression in SPSS. The results indicate that therapeutic interventions, specifically rehabilitative treatment, are more effective than incarceration in reducing recidivism. Furthermore, longer prison sentences did not show any significant impact on reducing recidivism rates, whereas extending rehabilitation programs had a substantial effect on altering the behavior of drug abusers.
Recommended Citation
Kang, Scott G., "Incarceration vs Treatment: Is One More Effective Than the Other in Preventing Recidivism for Drug Abuse?" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/331