Linda Kersten1, Andrew M Cislo1, Miranda Lynch1, Kirsten Shea1, Robert L Trestman1. 1. Ms. Kersten is with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Cislo, Ms. Shea, and Dr. Trestman are with Correctional Managed Health Care and Dr. Lynch is with the Center for Quantitative Medicine, all at UConn Health, Farmington, Connecticut. Send correspondence to Dr. Cislo (e-mail: cislo@uchc.edu ).
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether higher attendance in a skills-based group therapy program designed for inmates was associated with fewer rule infractions as reflected in the number of disciplinary reports received in a state correctional system. METHODS: Administrative data were provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction and Correctional Managed Health Care at UConn Health, the system's health care organization. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of START NOW program participation events from 2010 through 2013 (N=946). Participants were adult male and female inmates, both sentenced and unsentenced, with and without recorded psychiatric diagnoses. The number of disciplinary reports was documented for up to six months after program participation. Incident rate ratios are presented from zero-inflated negative binomial regression models. Predictive margins examined variation in the effect of sessions attended on disciplinary reports in the postprogram period across security risk groups and primary psychiatric diagnosis groups. RESULTS: For each additional session of START NOW completed, a 5% reduction was noted in the incident rate of disciplinary reports. The effect of program participation was robust to all model considerations. Inmates with higher overall security scores appear to benefit most from program participation. The program was also found to be effective across primary psychiatric diagnosis classifications. CONCLUSIONS: START NOW was shown to be an effective treatment option for reducing disciplinary infractions by inmates.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether higher attendance in a skills-based group therapy program designed for inmates was associated with fewer rule infractions as reflected in the number of disciplinary reports received in a state correctional system. METHODS: Administrative data were provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction and Correctional Managed Health Care at UConn Health, the system's health care organization. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of START NOW program participation events from 2010 through 2013 (N=946). Participants were adult male and female inmates, both sentenced and unsentenced, with and without recorded psychiatric diagnoses. The number of disciplinary reports was documented for up to six months after program participation. Incident rate ratios are presented from zero-inflated negative binomial regression models. Predictive margins examined variation in the effect of sessions attended on disciplinary reports in the postprogram period across security risk groups and primary psychiatric diagnosis groups. RESULTS: For each additional session of START NOW completed, a 5% reduction was noted in the incident rate of disciplinary reports. The effect of program participation was robust to all model considerations. Inmates with higher overall security scores appear to benefit most from program participation. The program was also found to be effective across primary psychiatric diagnosis classifications. CONCLUSIONS: START NOW was shown to be an effective treatment option for reducing disciplinary infractions by inmates.
Authors: Linda Kersten; Martin Prätzlich; Sandra Mannstadt; Katharina Ackermann; Gregor Kohls; Helena Oldenhof; Daniel Saure; Katrin Krieger; Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann; Arne Popma; Christine M Freitag; Robert L Trestman; Christina Stadler Journal: Trials Date: 2016-12-01 Impact factor: 2.279
Authors: Melanie S Richter; Ken O'Reilly; Danny O'Sullivan; Padraic O'Flynn; Aiden Corvin; Gary Donohoe; Ciaran Coyle; Mary Davoren; Caroline Higgins; Orla Byrne; Tina Nutley; Andrea Nulty; Kapil Sharma; Paul O'Connell; Harry G Kennedy Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2018-09-08 Impact factor: 3.630
Authors: Albert Yi-Que Truong; Brian Fabian Saway; Malek H Bouzaher; Mustafa Nawroz Rasheed; Sanaz Monjazeb; Soleille Dorothy Everest; Susan Linda Giampalmo; David Hartman; Cheryl Hartman; Anita S Kablinger; Robert L Trestman Journal: BMC Psychiatry Date: 2021-01-10 Impact factor: 3.630