2008

Examination is made of issues in the history of drug abuse programming for criminal justice clients, and the significance of that history for the future and direction of research, practice and policy.  Particular emphasis is placed on the development of new treatment models such that support and monitoring is maintained continuously through time consistent with views of the drug user as at risk for relapse, suggested initiatives in juvenile justice programming, the importance of co-occurring disorder for the criminal justice system, and organizational issues for the linking of the criminal justice and community treatment systems.

Title:	Co-occurring disorders in substance abuse treatment: Issues and prospects
Author(s):	Patrick Flynn & Barry Brown
Journal:	Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Volume:	34(1)
Pages:	36-47
Year:	2008
Abstract:

The article explores the implications for substance abuse treatment of epidemiological findings regarding mental disorder occurring in conjunction with substance abuse.  Emphasis is placed on the particular significance of severity and diagnosis with regard to mental disorder.  Recommendations are made with regard to future research and clinical programming.

Title:	A study of methadone maintenance for male prisoners: Three-month post-release outcomes
Author(s):	Timothy Kinlock, Michael Gordon, Robert Schwartz, & Kevin E. O'Grady
Journal:	Criminal Justice & Behavior
Volume:	35(1)
Pages	34-47
Year:	2008
Abstract:

This study examined benefits of methadone maintenance among prerelease prison inmates.  Incarcerated males with preincarceration heroin dependence (n = 197) were randomly assigned to (a) group educational counseling (counseling only); (b) counseling, with opportunity to begin methadone maintenance on release (counseling + transfer); or (c) counseling and methadone maintenance in prison, with opportunity to continue methadone maintenance on release (counseling + methadone).  At 90-day follow-up, counseling + methadone participants were significantly more likely than counseling-only and counseling + transfer participants to attend drug treatment (p = .0001) and less likely to be reincarcerated (p = .019).  Counseling + methadone and counseling + transfer participants were significantly less likely (all ps < .05) to report heroin use, cocaine use, and criminal involvement than counseling-only participants.  Follow-up is needed to determine whether these findings hold over a longer period.

Title:	The value of worksite health promotion
Author(s):	Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Ron Goetzel, & Ronald Ozminkowski
Journal:	ASM’s Heath & Fitness Journal
Year:	In press
Abstract:

 

Title:	Targeted sampling in drug abuse research: A review and case study
Author(s):	James Peterson, Heather Schacht-Reisinger, Robert Schwartz, Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Sharon Kelly, Barry Brown, & Michael Agar
Journal:	Field Methods
Year:	In press
Abstract:

Locating and recruiting out-of-treatment drug-dependent individuals for inclusion in research studies are important and challenging tasks.  Targeted sampling, a technique to reach such populations, has been described in the substance abuse literature.  However, this literature has generally lacked a recent detailed account of the procedures for planning and implementing targeted sampling.  This article provides a review of the literature of targeted sampling in drug abuse studies and a detailed description of methodology employed in our ongoing study of entry and engagement among opioid dependent individuals in Baltimore, Maryland.  Findings indicate that the out-of-treatment samples recruited from the streets are quite similar to those recruited from new admissions to opioid treatment programs, except for their prior treatment experience.  This report indicates that targeted sampling can be useful in an urban setting with pervasive drug use.

Title:	In-treatment v. out-of-treatment opioid dependent adults: Drug use and criminal history
Author(s):	Robert Schwartz, Sharon Kelly, Kevin O’Grady, James Peterson, Heather Schacht-Reisinger, Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Monique Wilson, Michael Agar, & Barry Brown
Journal:	The American Journal of Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Volume:	34(1)
Pages:	17-28
Year:	2008
Abstract:

This study compared the characteristics of opioid-addicted adults seeking (n = 169) and not seeking (n = 74) methadone treatment in Baltimore, Maryland.  Participants entering treatment were recruited from six methadone treatment programs, while out-of-treatment participants were recruited from the streets using targeted sampling methods.  Measures included the Addiction Severity Index, a Supplemental Questionnaire, and urine drug tests.  Data were analyzed using ANOVA, χ, and regression, holding key background variables constant.  Despite the lack of differences between samples in demographic characteristics, the out-of-treatment sample reported significantly more days of heroin, cocaine, and alcohol use and spent significantly more money on drugs and earned more illegal income at baseline.

Title:	Designing HIV Preventative Interventions for Urban American Indians: The Evolution of ‘The Don’t Forget Us’ Program
Author(s):	S. Wiechelt, Jan Gryczynski, & Jeannette Johnson
Journal:	Health & Social Work
Year:	In press
Abstract:

2007

This chapter provides background information regarding individuals who either self-identify or are identified by people in the larger society as being members of the African American ethnocultural group.  Although African Americans share many things in common with one another including similar historical experiences, cultural traits, and health considerations, great diversity exists among group members in terms of socioeconomic status, educational background, family structure, and individual reactions to racism.  As with other ethnocultural groups, differences among group members may be just as varied as the differences between members of one ethnocultural group and another.  Thus, one should be mindful of such considerations when making sweeping generalizations about group characteristics or attributes.  Acknowledging and understanding both the similarities and differences between and within members of varying ethnocultural groups may provide disaster responders and mental health workers with a more complete understanding of the complex interrelationships that exist between culture and disasters.  Such information may increase their awareness and sensitivity to the important role that cultural factors play in shaping the nature, meaning, and varied responses of ethnocultural group members during and immediately following a disaster.

Title:	Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment for Pre-release Opioid Dependent Inmates in Puerto Rico
Author(s):	Carmen Albizu-Garcia, Glorimar Correa, Adriana Hernandez, Timothy Kinlock, Michael Gordon, Cristobal Avila, Ivette Reyes, & Robert Schwartz
Journal:	Journal of Addiction Medicine
Volume:	1(3)
Pages:	126-132
Year:	2007
Abstract:

The following study, conducted in Puerto Rico, examined the feasibility of providing daily buprenorphine-naloxone (bup-nx) in prison and on release to 45 male inmates with histories of heroin addiction.  Participants were assessed at study entry and at 1 month after release (N = 42; 93.3% follow-up rate).  Treatment completers compared with noncompleters had significantly greater reductions in self-reported heroin use, cocaine use, and crime and were less likely to be opioid-positive according to urine drug testing.  Despite study limitations, the short-term outcomes of this study suggest that bup-nx may contribute to reductions in readdiction to heroin and in criminal activities among re-entering male prisoners.

Title:	The Examination of Correctional Officers' Organizational Commitment
Author(s):	Michael Gordon
Journal:	Journal of Professional Issues in Criminal Justice
Volume:	2(2)
Pages	191-206
Year:	2007
Abstract:

The present study assessed the organizational commitment of 189 correctional officers at four Maryland State prisons representing multiple security levels (pre-release, minimum, medium, and maximum) using the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) (Mowday, Steers, & Porter, 1979).  Results indicated that officers with greater years of military service and those that chose corrections as a career reported higher OCQ scores, while those with a college degree or graduate school education reported lower OCQ scores.  These findings indicate that a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of correctional officers may contribute to greater knowledge of the systemic dynamics of inmate confining organizations.

Title:	Death in custody: An historical analysis
Author(s):	Jami Grant, Pamela Southall, David Fowler, Joan Mealey, Eleanor Thomas, & Timothy Kinlock
Journal:	Journal of Forensic Science
Volume:	52(5)
Pages:	1177-1181
Year:	2007
Abstract:

This research delineates the historical evolution of death in custody.  A retrospective, exploratory analysis of 145,425 cases from Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, occurring from 1939 to 2004, was conducted.  Two hundred and two custodial deaths were identified and subsequently examined relative to time, agency, decedent characteristics, and cause and manner of death.  Results indicate that there have been substantive changes in custodial deaths over time.  Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of death from the 1930s to the 1970s, except for the 1940s, when syphilis and tuberculosis took precedence.  Asphyxia, the predominant cause of death in the 1980s, reflected an increase in suicidal hangings.  Emerging in the 1980s, drug intoxication deaths were prevalent in the 1990s and 2000s.  Sudden unexplained deaths involving violent behavior, the use of multiple restraints, and drug intoxication were not identified until the 1980s, coinciding with periods of increased cocaine abuse nationally.

Title:	The effectiveness of an after-school program targeting urban African American youth
Author(s):	Thomas Hanlon, Betsy Simon, Kevin O’Grady, Steven Carswell, & Jason Callaman
Journal:	Education & Urban Society
Year:	In Press
Abstract:

This study reports on the effectiveness at one-year follow-up of an after-school prevention program targeting 6th grade African American youth residing in high-risk urban areas.  The program, conducted on-site over the school-year period, involved a group mentoring approach emphasizing remedial education and an appreciation of African American cultural heritage in promoting school bonding, social skills development, and greater academic achievement.  Behavioral and adjustment outcome data were obtained from two participating middle-school sites (intervention and comparison, involving 237 and 241 students, respectively) serving essentially equivalent urban communities.  Results of the study revealed significant effects for academic achievement and behavior in terms of grade point average and teacher ratings that favored students at the intervention site.  At this site, greater participation of parents in the intervention program was found to be positively related to improvement of the children in grade point average.  No differential site-related changes in negative behavior were observed.

Title:	Intravenous and intranasal heroin dependent treatment seekers: Similarities and differences
Author(s):	David Highfield, Robert Schwartz, Jerome Jaffe, Jason Callaman, & Kevin O’Grady
Journal:	Addiction
Volume:	102(11)
Pages:	1816-23
Year:	2007
Abstract:

Aims: This study compared the characteristics of intravenous and intranasal heroin users seeking methadone treatment, and their response to treatment.  Participants: 319 heroin-dependent adults.  Design: Participants were randomly assigned to receive interim methadone treatment or to a waitlist control on a 3:2 basis.  Analyses were conducted by dividing participants into two groups based on their route of heroin ingestion: intravenous or intranasal.  Setting: A methadone clinic in Baltimore City, Maryland.  Intervention: Interim methadone treatment consisted of providing an adequate and stable dose of methadone, but no psychosocial services, to heroin dependent adults for up to 120 days while they awaited an opening for comprehensive methadone treatment.  Measures: Addiction Severity Index, Texas Christian University AIDS Risk Assessment, a questionnaire on treatment entry, and a urine drug test were collected at baseline and at entry into a comprehensive treatment program, or at 120 days after baseline assessment, whichever came first.  Findings: At baseline, over 60% of participants were IN users and had been for an average of over 12 years.  IV users, as compared to IN users, were more likely to have ever used cocaine, to have used cocaine in the past 30 days, to have more medical complications, and to report more income generated from criminal behavior.  Both IV and IN users reduced their self-reported days of heroin use, cocaine use, and days of criminal activity in response to interim methadone treatment.  Conclusions: Despite differences in baseline characteristics, IN and IV heroin-dependent individuals did not differ in their response to interim methadone treatment.

Title:	Essential information for disaster management and trauma specialists working with American Indians
Author(s):	Jeannette Johnson, J. Baldwin, R. Haring, S. Wiechelt, S. Roth, Jan Gryczynski, & H. Lozano
Book Title:	Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma: Foundations, Issues, and Applications
Pages:	73-113
Year:	2007
Abstract:

This chapter provides the reader with a brief overview of American Indian history, demographics, and culture.  The information should be useful for disaster responders and mental health professionals working with American Indians in the context of traumatic events, although the material will be relevant to any human services professional working with this population.  We begin by providing a brief synopsis of the consequences of American Indian contact with European people, examining current population statistics against this historical backdrop.  We then guide the reader through an exploration of American Indian cultural values, traditions, and communication styles.  Finally, we discuss the relevance of culture within the context of service provision and offer suggestions for working with the American Indian population in the aftermath of disasters or trauma. 

Title:	HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention needs of Native Americans living in Baltimore: In their own words
Author(s):	Jeannette Johnson, Jan Gryczynski, & S. Wiechelt
Journal:	AIDS Education & Prevention
Volume:	19(6)
Pages:	531-544
Year:	2007
Abstract:

A needs assessment funded by the Center of Substance Abuse Prevention was conducted in 2005-2006 to determine the HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention needs of Native Americans living in Baltimore, MD.  We used a community-based participatory approach to gain an in-depth understanding of local Native American health service needs.  Community stakeholders and key informants embedded in the local Native American population were consulted at each stage of the research planning process.  Two complementary methodologies (focus groups and surveys) produced a holistic assessment of the population’s needs, risks, and strengths, and uncovered the social and cultural contexts in which health risk behaviors unfold.  The use of these methods within a participatory framework produced a more complete portrait of the service needs of the Native American population in Baltimore.  Findings from this study support the necessity for future HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and hepatitis prevention programming for urban Native Americans.

Title:	Impact of role induction on long-term drug treatment outcomes
Author(s):	Elizabeth Katz, Barry Brown, Robert Schwartz, Stuart King, Eric Weintraub, & Wardell Barksdale
Journal:	Journal of Addictive Diseases
Volume:	26(2)
Pages:	81-90
Year:	2007
Abstract:

In a study of six and 12 month outcomes for clients randomly assigned to role induction (RI) for early engagement, and to standard treatment (ST), it was found that RI clients were significantly more likely to attend post-orientation treatment sessions and achieve positive outcomes with regard to reduced substance use.  Given the gains in retention and reduced substance use potential with use of the 45-minute RI protocol, RI is seen as a useful addition to clinical programming.

Title:	A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: Results at one-month post-release
Author(s):	Timothy Kinlock, Michael Gordon, Robert Schwartz, Kevin O’Grady, Terrence Fitzgerald, & Monique Wilson
Journal:	Drug & Alcohol Dependence
Volume:	91
Pages:	220 - 227
Abstract:

Despite its effectiveness, methadone maintenance is rarely provided in American correctional facilities.  This study is the first randomized clinical trial in the US to examine the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment provided to prisoners with pre-incarceration heroin addiction.  A three-group randomized controlled trial was conducted between September 2003 and June 2005.  Two hundred eleven Baltimore pre-release inmates who were heroin dependent during the year prior to incarceration were enrolled in this study.  Participants were randomly assigned to the following: counseling only: counseling in prison, with passive referral to treatment upon release (n = 70); counseling + transfer: counseling in prison with transfer to methadone maintenance treatment upon release (n = 70); and counseling + methadone: methadone maintenance and counseling in prison, continued in a community-based methadone maintenance program upon release (n = 71).  The percentage of participants in each condition that tested positive for opioids at 1-month post-release were, respectively, counseling only 62.9%, counseling + transfer 41.0%, and counseling + methadone 27.6%, p < .05, with the counseling only group significantly more likely to test positive than the counseling + methadone group.  Study results indicated that methadone maintenance initiated prior to or immediately after release from prison appears to have beneficial short-term impact on community treatment entry and heroin use.  This intervention may be able to fill an urgent treatment need for prisoners with heroin addiction histories.

Title:	Essential Concepts and Foundations
Author(s):	Anthony Marsella, P. Watson, Jeannette Johnson, & Jan Gryczynski
Book Title:	Ethnocultural Perspectives on Disaster and Trauma: Foundations, Issues, and Applications
Pages:	3-13
Year:	2007
Abstract:

Good intentions, though essential, are not enough in disaster relief.  To help the victims of disasters, we must understand who they are and what they need from their own perspective.  To do so, it is essential we understand, respect, and use their culture in our efforts.  While it is axiomatic that emergency care is essential for the saving of human lives and the prevention of disease and disorder, it must also be understood that the cycle of a disaster extends far beyond the acute phases to short-term, mid-term, and long-term recovery, rebuilding, and prevention phases.  While there are obvious variations in cultural factors that should optimally be considered in the acute and emergency phases (e.g., familiarity with medical care, compliance with treatments, food variations, security needs, communications patterns), many of the cultural determinants of responses to disasters emerge in the subsequent phases involving rehabilitation, rebuilding and reconstruction.  It is now clear that disaster mental health workers must demonstrate cultural competencies to be effective in their work.  These competencies must include a broad area of knowledge and skills.  This chapter orients the reader to the importance of cultural considerations in post- disaster service delivery, and provides an introduction to the remainder of the text.

Title:	Participants’ descriptions of social support within a multi-site intervention for HIV-seropositive injection drug users (INSPIRE)
Author(s):	Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Lorece Edwards, Sonja Mackenzie, Amy Knowlton, Eduardo Valverde, Julia Arnsten, Scott Santibanez, Mary Latka, & Yuko Mizuno
Journal:	Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes
Volume:	46 (Suppl. 2)
Pages:	S55-S63
Year:	2007
Abstract:

HIV-positive injection drug users (IDUs) are at risk for transmitting HIV to their sex and injection partners, and compared with non-IDUs, they have poorer access to medical care and adherence to antiretroviral therapies.  Social support has been linked with decreased injection and sexual risk behaviors and slower disease progression.  In this qualitative process evaluation, we explored emotional support (i.e., caring and empathy), informational support (i.e., information, guidance, or feedback), and appraisal support (i.e., information for self-evaluation or understanding) received by participants in the Interventions for Seropositive Injectors – Research and Evaluation (INSPIRE) project, a multisite secondary prevention intervention for HIV-positive IDUs.  Participants in the intervention and control conditions (N = 40) described similar experiences in terms of type, source, and perceived benefits of social support received from the program.  Emotional support was received from program staff, other participants, and elements of the intervention.  Participants also mentioned social support received from INSPIRE in relation to changes they had made in their lives during and after their involvement in the intervention, such as changes in their drug use, sexual practices, and health care utilization.

Title:	Prediction of violence history in substance-abusing inmates
Author(s):	Kevin O’Grady, Timothy Kinlock, & Thomas Hanlon
Journal:	The Prison Journal
Volume:	87(4)
Pages:	416-433
Year:	2007
Abstract:

This study examines the relationship of various developmental factors, drug abuse history, and current adjustment with history of violent criminal activity in 183 drug-abusing inmates.  The purpose is to determine factors that discriminate among offenders who (a) have no history of violent criminal behavior, (b) have a history of violent criminal behavior but have never attempted or committed murder, and (c) have attempted or committed murder.  Inmates who have attempted or committed murder committed their first crime, on average, as preadolescents, whereas inmates who have not committed violent crimes committed their first crime, on average, in their midteens.  A history of torturing animals as a child is predictive of membership in the murder or attempted murder group.  Inmates who attempted or committed murder were raised in families considerably more deviant than families of the other two groups.  Finally, commission of violent crimes is associated with a higher current level of anxiety.

Title:	Characteristics and HIV risk behaviors of homeless, substance-using men who have sex with men
Author(s):	Cathy J. Reback, Jonathan B. Kamien, & Leslie Amass
Journal:	Addictive Behaviors
Volume:	32(3)
Pages:	647-654
Year	2007

Abstract:

During January and February 2003, 20 non-treatment seeking homeless, substance-using MSM accessing community-based prevention services in West Hollywood, California were assessed to characterize demographics, addiction and psychiatric severity using structured and semi-structured clinical interviews, and high-risk drug and sexual behavior. Participants averaged 37 years old, were mostly Caucasian/white (65%) and most identified as bisexual (58%) or gay (37%). Self-reported HIV seroprevalence was 21%. Most (53%) exchanged sex for money and/or drugs within the previous 30 days. All were diagnosed with current DSM-IV Substance Dependence Disorders, primarily alcohol (62%), amphetamine (57%), cocaine (52%), and marijuana (38%). Participants reported many (35.7) positive psychiatric symptoms on the Brief Symptom Inventory and averaged moderate Beck Depression Inventory scores (19.1). Most (75%) met criteria for Mood Disorder, 33% for Major Depressive Disorder, 43% for Antisocial Personality Disorder and averaged low (48.5) Global Assessment of Functioning scores. While the small convenience sample limits generalizability of the findings, these data provide an opportunity to gain insight into this at-risk population and, thereby, assess appropriate intervention strategies.

Aims Review the current evidence regarding the prevalence of methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM) and to evaluate the factors that contribute to methamphetamine use and potential for sexual transmission of HIV and other infectious diseases. Methods Databased reports address (1) epidemiology of methamphetamine use in MSM; (2) methamphetamine use and risk behaviors for sexually transmitted infections; and (3) interventions.  Findings Methamphetamine use is highly prevalent in MSM.  Strong associations between methamphetamine use and HIV-related sexual transmission behaviors are noted across studies of MSM and correspond to increased incidence for HIV and syphilis compared to MSM who do not use the drug. Behavioral treatments produce sustained reductions in methamphetamine use and concomitant sexual risk behaviors among methamphetamine dependent MSM.  Conclusions Brief screening of methamphetamine use for MSM who seek physical, mental health and substance abuse services is recommended.  Behavioral interventions that address methamphetamine use may range from brief interventions to intensive out-patient treatments.
 

Objective: The present research examines alcohol use among students who are involved in recreational sports.  This is the first study of college student alcohol use to operationally separate recreational sports participants from NCAA athletes and examine them as a separate group of interest.  Participants: A random sample of 494 students was generated from the undergraduate population at a four-year university.  Method Summary: A web-based survey was used to collect data, and the sample was stratified and weighed by residence status to more accurately reflect the population.  Results: Students who participated in organized recreational sports were found to use alcohol in greater frequency and intensity than those who were not involved in recreational sports across a variety of measures, even alongside other control variables including race, sex, and Greek membership.  Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, alcohol consumption among those participating in organized recreational sports appears to be an area worthy of consideration in future research.