Comparison of background characteristics and behaviors of African-American, Hispanic, and white substance abusers treated in Federal prison: results from the TRIAD Study.

The lack of empirical literature describing minority substance abusers who seek treatment serves as an obstacle for providing empirically-driven, culturally-relevant substance abuse treatment to minorities in both prison-based and community-based programs. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature by describing and comparing the background characteristics and preincarceration behaviors and social environments of adult African-American, Hispanic, and white substance abusers who were treated in Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) residential drug abuse treatment programs. The study sample included 279 African-American, 72 Hispanic, and 512 white male substance abusers who were treated in 16 prison-based residential drug treatment programs from 1991 to 1995. Consistent with the limited literature, this study tested the hypothesis that there would be significant differences among the groups on most of the variables, with the greatest differences to be noted between African-American and white participants. The results indicated that there were numerous significant differences in demographic and background, family background and criminal history characteristics, but there were only a few differences in preincarceration behaviors and social environment among participants. The findings suggested that addressing participants' treatment needs within the context of their cultural characteristics would enhance treatment for participants.

Correlates of drug treatment outcomes for African American and white male federal prisoners: results from the TRIAD study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of family background and preincarceration socioenvironmental variables on three-year post-release drug use for African American and white prison-based drug treatment participants in order to explain the previously found disparities in rates of three-year post-release drug use between the two groups. There were two hypotheses: 1) for both groups, family background and preincarceration socioenvironmental variables would predict postrelease drug use more strongly than sociodemographic characteristics and preincarceration behaviors, and 2) the predictors would be different for each group. The sample included 279 African American and 512 white male treatment participants who were supervised by a U.S. probation officer following incarceration. Event history analyses were used to model time to first drug use during postrelease supervision. The results indicated that none of the family background factors or socioenvironmental variables predicted postrelease drug use. The variables predictive of drug use for one or both racial groups were limited to sociodemographic characteristics and preincarceration behaviors such as age at release, prior commitments, and preincarceration employment. Yet, there were no significant between-group differences for these predictors. The authors concluded that future assessment of the effects of socioenvironmental variables on postrelease drug use likely requires evaluation of the postrelease social environment at the time of release.