Capitalizing on cutting edge research on values affirmation and personalized risk feedback from psychology and criminology, we aim to develop, implement, and pilot test a one session computer-assisted intervention tailored to the needs of jail inmates. A key component of effective offender treatment is an initial assessment of risk factors followed by feedback to facilitate problem awareness and engagement in appropriate treatment and/or behavior change. Feedback regarding areas of high risk, however, can be experienced as threatening. We propose to develop, fine-tune, and pilot-test a computerized system for risk assessment and feedback, including evaluation of a brief pre-feedback prosocial values affirmation exercise (Cohen & Sherman, 2014) aimed at decreasing defensiveness and increasing inmates? willingness to access and process risk-relevant information and to utilize post-release treatment resources, thereby reducing post-release substance misuse, HIV risk behavior, and criminal recidivism. Participants will be 170 jail inmates nearing release into the community - 20 pilot participants and 150 RCT participants randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) Values Affirmation + Personalized Risk Feedback; (2) Personalized Risk Feedback only; (3) Control. The baseline and risk assessment, values affirmation manipulation, and personalized risk feedback will be presented via touch-screen computers, requiring minimal training to administer. Analyses will assess: 1) The feasibility of utilizing a computerized system to assess and share risk information with jail inmates, including a brief values affirmation exercise to reduce defensiveness; 2) The acceptability of this approach from the perspectives of jail staff and inmates themselves; 3) The impact of the intervention on observed proximal outcomes (mechanisms of action), such as time spent viewing feedback, electing to print a copy of informational and treatment resources, and consequent changes in perceptions of risk, treatability, etc.; 4) The impact of the intervention on key post-release outcomes including engagement in relevant treatment services, substance misuse, HIV risk behaviors, re-offense and re-arrest; 5) The links between proximal outcomes (MOAs) and key post-release outcomes; 6) Potential moderators of treatment effectiveness. The resulting products and initial findings will provide preliminary results for an R01 application to conduct an expanded implementation and evaluation of this risk feedback intervention enhanced by a values affirmation both at the outset and in the final days of jail incarceration.
The goal is to reduce several heavy burdens on society ? the burden of substance dependence, the burden of HIV infection, and the burden of crime ? via a novel one session values-affirmation and risk-feedback intervention for jail inmates nearing re-entry into the community aimed at enhancing problem awareness and information seeking, post-release substance abuse treatment seeking and treatment involvement and HIV testing, and ultimately reduced substance misuse, reduced recidivism, and reduced HIV risk behavior.
