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Treating alcohol-related violence: A feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial in prisons
Abstract
Purpose: There is a lack of good-quality outcome evaluations of interventions for offenders whose crimes are alcohol-related. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered gold standard in treatment evaluations. Here, we report on a feasibility study for an RCT of an alcohol-related violence intervention, Control of Violence for Angry, Impulsive Drinkers (COVAID). Method: 115 adult male prisoners were randomly allocated to COVAID plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU only. Results: Most participants (84%) found COVAID useful. Reconviction data at six months were accessed for 109 (95%) participants. There were no differences between the two groups on violent reconvictions or all reconvictions at the six-month period, but at 17 months the COVAID group had 13% fewer people reconvicted for violence, and 20% fewer had reconvictions for any offence. Conclusion: The results indicate that an RCT is feasible and provides parameters for designing a full RCT. Differences in reconviction between groups favoured COVAID and were clinically important. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis.
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Date
2014
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Article
Subject
Violence, Criminals, Alcohol drinking
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Citation
Bowes, N., McMurran, M., Evans, C., Oatley, G., Williams, B. and David, S. (2014). Treating alcohol-related violence: a feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial in prisons. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 25(2), 152-163.
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Publisher’s statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in The Journal of Forensic
Psychiatry & Psychology on 12 March 2014, available online:
http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14789949.2014.895025