title: Characteristics of criminal justice and noncriminal justice clients receiving treatment for substance abuse.
abstract: This study compared three groups of substance abuse clients drawn from a representative sample of community treatment facilities in a large metropolitan area. Clients mandated to treatment from the criminal justice system (CJ-mandated; n = 124), clients currently involved with the criminal justice system but whose treatment was not legally mandated (CJ contact; n = 77), and clients who had no current criminal justice contact (no-CJ contact; n = 364) were compared with respect to sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics including prior history of drug treatment and criminal justice system involvement, criminal behavior, psychological and physical health status, and treatment-related beliefs (e.g., motivation). The three groups differed from one another in certain respects; nonmandated clients currently in contact with the justice system showed similarities to other voluntary clients as well as to clients mandated to receive treatment. Implications for treatment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences, RAND, Santa Monica, CA 90407, USA. grant_marshall@rand.org
authors.forename: Grant N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Yih-Ing
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Hser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003415:Crime / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome