Wayne Welsh, Philip Harris: Criminal Justice Policy and Planning, 4th Edition

Case Studies with Questions and Answers

Chapter 07: Reassessment and Review

Scenario based on Case Study 7–1 (Implementation Woes: Providing Residential Substance Abuse Treatment [RSAT] for Inmates in State Prisons)

One critical element of the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program is aftercare. Offenders leaving prison and reentering the community will not have dealt with all of the issues behind their substance abuse, and they will be entering environments where opportunities to obtain drugs and the stresses associated with reentry can combine to drag an offender back into solutions or feelings of anxiety or depression that worked for them in the past. The RSAT request for proposals (RFP) was very clear about the need for aftercare services, but not all states have created aftercare programs for this vulnerable population of former inmates.

Questions

What factors explain the lack of aftercare services in some states?

Correct Answer

Although the RSAT RFP emphasized the need for aftercare services, RSAT funds could only be used for that portion of the program offered within residential facilities. No funding was provided for aftercare services. Some states were unable or unwilling to create and fund these services.

Is the absence of aftercare services a problem of implementation of the RSAT program?

Correct Answer

Since the RSAT program never included funding for aftercare services, the problem is not one of implementation. It may, however, be seen as a problem of design. Involvement of state correctional agencies in the planning of the RFP would have revealed obstacles to funding aftercare services before issuing the RFP.