Criminology researcher receives a CIHR grant to evaluate impact of BC’s only prison-based therapeutic community

Criminology assistant professor Amanda Butler has been awarded more than 1.2 million through a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant to evaluate the effectiveness of British Columbia's only prison-based therapeutic community —Guthrie Therapeutic Community (GTC) in addressing substance use disorders among incarcerated individuals.

Studies have shown a striking correlation between substance use disorders and poor outcomes such as reincarceration and mortality. With over 75 per cent of provincial prison populations in British Columbia living with mental health and/or substance use disorders, it is critical to address the needs of people with substance use disorders who are involved with the criminal legal system.

Prison-based therapeutic communities (TCs) offer an alternative to traditional, punitive responses to crime and substance use, providing an environment that fosters personal responsibility, self-development, and supportive relationships.

Butler and her team will partner with the John Howard Society of Victoria and BC Corrections to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Guthrie Therapeutic Community (GTC) located at the Nanaimo Correctional Centre. They will compare the health and criminal justice outcomes of GTC residents with a matched sample of individuals from a traditional correctional center.

Findings from this study may guide the development, implementation and sustainability of prison-based TCs, in Canada and internationally. This research has the potential to enhance the quality and availability of aftercare, reduce substance-related harms and improve the overall well-being of individuals within and transitioning out of the correctional system.

“We are not only interested in how to reduce death and reoffending, says Butler. “We want to understand how to help people lead purposeful, healthy, prosocial lives.”