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Abstract: 

The lack of client motivation and participation in prison-based substance abuse treatment remains a perennial obstacle to the delivery of effective treatment services in this unique environment. This is due primarily to the coercive nature of most prison-based treatment programs and the negative influences of the inmate subculture. Behavioral reinforcement of positive behaviors holds potential promise for overcoming this obstacle and improving the overall effectiveness of prison-based treatment. However, integrating behavioral reinforcement techniques into a prison-based treatment environment faces obstacles created by the organizational culture of penal institutions, which emphasizes the use of punishment for controlling inappropriate behavior, and which influences the practices of the treatment organizations operating within them. Within this organizational context, the Diffusion of Innovations theory offers an appropriate theoretical framework for integrating and sustaining a behavioral reinforcement protocol into a prison-based treatment environment.

Keywords: Project REFORM, Project RECOVERY, Therapeutic Communities, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment, Behavior Modification, Contingency Management

Affiliations:  1: University of California; 2: Integrated Substance Abuse Programs.