Date of Conferral

8-13-2026

Date of Award

August 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Leggie Boone

Abstract

Treatment retention, specifically as it pertains to offenders who are mandated to receive substance use treatment rather than serve standard incarceration sentences, is receiving more scholarly attention. Although prior research indicates an association between substance use treatment and reduced criminal behavior, many studies have methodological limitations. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental, comparative study was to compare treatment completion outcomes for mandated and non-mandated offenders and to examine individual predictors of treatment completion, thereby addressing gaps in the current research. Secondary data from adult offenders receiving treatment at an inpatient substance use rehabilitation facility were analyzed. The risk-needs-responsivity model was the theoretical framework. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze data. No statistically significant differences in treatment completion were found between mandated and nonmandated offenders for the first research question (N= 1,425). However, for the second research question (N = 406), increasing age, cannabis use, buprenorphine medication-assisted treatment use, and African American race were associated with a greater likelihood of treatment completion. The absence of a mandated-status effect and the presence of individual predictor effects suggest that responsivity factors may be more influential than referral status. Limitations were identified, including sampling and generalizability constraints such as nonrandom sampling. This study may contribute to positive social change by informing (a) current evidence-based practices to improve offender rehabilitation and (b) future policy for mandated programming. Enhanced public safety is a potential implication.

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