Recognizing that a clear majority of prisoners and jail inmates has substance abuse histories, corrections administrators should establish guidelines to ensure that limited treatment capacity is filled by individuals who have the greatest need and are likely to show the greatest gains from treatment. To identify such individuals, trained corrections staff should, at a minimum, administer a validated substance abuse assessment instrument, such as the Addiction Severity Index or TCU Drug Screen to identify the level of need that each individual exhibits. (See Policy Statement 8, Development of Intake Procedure, for additional discussion of assessment protocols.) When possible, corrections staff should also draw on information such as the pre-sentence report or the nature and circumstances of the offense when assigning individuals to treatment programming, as information from these sources could indicate which inmates are drug-dependent or have chronic substance abuse problems. Substance abuse treatment for these individuals is more likely to result in behavior change and improved outcomes than it is for non-using drug sellers or recreational drug users, whose criminal behavior is generally not affected by their drug use. ^[1]  

Engaging individuals who are approaching release in treatment programs will also maximize the value of limited treatment budgets. An individual's commitment to change his or her behavior is a key component of successful treatment, and individuals preparing to return to the community are most likely to be motivated to address substance abuse issues. Individuals may also be motivated to change by coercive strictures. For instance, in a state where the releasing authority has discretion, making participation in substance abuse treatment a mandatory prerelease condition may provide the necessary incentive for a person to succeed in treatment. (See Policy Statement 17, Advising the Releasing Authority, for more on considering institutional programming in making release decisions.)