NCJ Number
226123
Date Published
2007
Length
166 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and findings of an evaluation of the impact of the Netherland's Rehabilitation of Drug-Addicted Offenders Act (SOV), which authorized the compulsory placement of drug-addicted offenders in government-designated secure and semi-secure facilities for up to 2 years, with the objectives of reducing criminal recidivism, reducing addiction problems, and improving social functioning.
Abstract
Based on evaluation findings, this report concludes that the SOV has produced significantly better outcomes for drug-addicted offenders regarding addictive behavior and social functioning than regular detention; and it produced comparable outcomes to two intensive quasi-compulsory treatment programs operating in the Netherlands. The SOV was enacted with the provision that its continuation be determined from the results of an evaluation of its impact after 6 years of implementation. After this period, the SOV would only be continued if the evaluation showed it has had the intended effect. The evaluation concludes that the SOV has met its criteria for effectiveness; however, given the limited number of treatment places and the long treatment period (2 years), the SOV's impact on national crime figures and the burden of drug-addicted offenders on legal institutions will probably be limited. The evaluation consisted of a quasi-experimental design with three control conditions: two quasi-compulsory treatment groups and a regular detention groups. 5 tables and 25 references