ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes research findings on the effectiveness of criminal justice responses to adult substance abuse. The focus is on heroin and cocaine primarily, because, in contrast to the use of other substances, increased use of heroin and cocaine typically results in an increase in criminal activity among offenders (Nurco, Hanlon, & Kinlock, 1991). Initially, pertinent issues and a brief historical overview of criminal justice-based interventions will be addressed. Subsequently, the focus will be on the effectiveness of various interventions, such as compulsory supervision and mandatory treatment; police crackdowns; parole and probation; incarceration; and more recently developed sanctions, such as intensive supervision parole/probation (ISP); shock incarceration; and in-prison treatment. Emphasis will be placed on methodological considerations, particularly the use of outcome measures, in order to illustrate the extent of the knowledge regarding assessment of these approaches. In the conclusion, unanswered questions and suggestions for future research and policy will be addressed.
