Past Issues

Objective: In this study, we examined the factors that predicted the completion of group therapy among methamphetamine offenders who agreed to participate in a deferred prosecution program. Methods: We recruited 252 methamphetamine offenders. Comparisons were made between individuals who completed the deferred prosecution program and those who did not. Results: Only 141 (56%) offenders completed the group therapy. In multivariate logistic regression of the study data, we found that patients’ marital status (p < 0.01), route of administration (p < 0.05), self-disclosure (p < 0.001), absent drug-defi ned offenses (p < 0.05), and negative initial urine drug screen (p < 0.01) signifi cantly predicted the completion of the group therapy. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.789. Conclusion: Marital status, negative on initial urine drug screening, selfdisclosure, routes of administration, and drug-defi ned offenses were strong predictors for completion of the deferred prosecution program. The staff of the criminal justice system and the clinicians can consider the identifi ed factors when choosing candidates for deferred prosecution programs.