Introduction of Therapy into Tegel Prison: Evaluation of an Experiment

The revision of the Penal Code of the Federal Republic of Germany includes provision for therapeutic units in prisons. This paper reports on the first of a series of research projects designed to test the effectiveness of the largest such unit which is at Tegel Prison in Berlin. The data indicate that residents of the unit have lower reconviction rates than prisoners exposed only to orthodox penal confinement. However, there are no significant differences in outcomes for the three treatment models employed. The methodological problems involved in this kind of evaluative research are discussed.