1. Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (DOSA): Treatment and Supervision
A Presentation to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission
December 12, 2003
Polly Phipps, Ph.D.
Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Bill Luchansky, Ph.D.
Looking Glass Analytics
Washington State
Institute for Public Policy

2. What Is DOSA?
Provides a drug treatment alternative for felony offenders who receive a prison sentence.
Under DOSA, time in confinement is reduced by half if offender completes treatment.
Between 1995–99, only first-time felony drug offenders could receive DOSA.
In 1999, E2SHB 1006:
expanded DOSA eligibility to include all felony drug and property offenders, and
made drug offenders ineligible for work ethic camp, a non-drug treatment sentencing option.

3. Who Is Eligible for DOSA?
Offenders with a sentence greater than one year (offenses committed after July 24, 1999).
If drug offense, must involve only a small quantity (not defined in RCW) of a controlled substance.
Offenders are not eligible if they have a:
current or prior sex or violent offense,
deadly weapon sentence enhancement, or
deportation order.

4. Current Study E2SHB 1006 directed WSIPP to evaluate DOSA.
This presentation focuses on how DOSA has been implemented. Are DOSA offenders:
receiving and completing treatment?
held accountable for behavior that violates DOSA sentence conditions through sanctions and revocations?
The final report, due December 2004, will focus on criminal recidivism and cost-effectiveness.

5. Data Sources
Sentencing Guidelines Commission sentencing data (FY 00 and 01)
Department of Corrections (DOC) chemical dependency treatment data
Included in DASA TARGET database
DOC supervision violation data
WSIPP criminal justice database

6. DOSA Treatment Sample

7. Group Characteristics*
DOSA Offenders
DOC
Prison Population
Average Age
32.7
35.8
Gender
Male
79%
92%
Female
21% 8%
Race
White
65%
72%
Black
29%
Native American 3% 4%
Asian 2%
Other 1%
Ethnicity
Hispanic
11%
*Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding; N=1,883. Doc prison population statistics for March, 2003.

8. County Characteristics*
Sentencing County
Supervision County
DOSA Offenders
DOC Prison Population
DOC Population Contact Supervision
King
43%
25%
41%
24%
Pierce
17%
16%
Kitsap 7% 4% 6% 3%
Spokane 5% 9%
Thurston
Snohomish 8%
Benton 2%
Cowlitz
Lewis 1%
All Other Counties
15%
29%
14%
34%
*Percents may not add to 100 due to rounding. N=1,883 for DOSA sentencing county and N=16,492 for DOC resident inmates by sentencing county (March 2003); N=1,865 for DOSA supervision county with 18 unknown, and N=32,831 for DOC supervision county-offenders with contact required (2003).

9. Criminal History and DOSA Offenses
Criminal History (not including DOSA offenses)
3.5 prior felony convictions
3.7 prior misdemeanor convictions
DOSA Offenses
65% were convicted of felony drug offenses.
26% were convicted of non-drug felony offenses.
9% were convicted of both drug and non-drug felony offenses.
N=1,883

10. Sentence Length and Prison Stay
Average Length of
Confinement DOSA Sentence
Average Prison Time Served
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

11. Drug Use Characteristics, DOSA Offenders
2% Other
Alcohol
Primary Drug Use
Stage of Addiction
WSIPP 2003
N=1,767; 116 missing

12. DOC DOSA Policy
All DOSA offenders receive a chemical dependency assessment in prison.
Chemically dependent offenders receive treatment per DOC policy.
DOSA offenders receive priority for treatment.
Addiction severity, custody level, risk classification, sentence length, and treatment capacity are factors in determining treatment modality and duration.
Upon prison release, offenders must continue to participate in outpatient treatment programs a minimum of three months.
Sentence revocation procedures are in place for DOSA offenders who:
Fail to complete treatment continuum, violate court- or department-imposed release conditions, are convicted of a new felony, or are subject to an INS department order.

13. DOSA Treatment Continuum
Initial Treatment Modes
Intensive Outpatient
A 5, 6, 9, or 12 week program providing up to 72 hours of treatment
Available in confinement and community
Intensive Inpatient
30 days in length
Discontinued in 2000
Long Term Residential
6 to 12 months
Continuing Outpatient Treatment
Weekly sessions for a minimum of 3 months

14. Did DOSA Offenders Receive an Assessment?
No Assessment 4%
96%
Received Assessment
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

15. Did DOSA Offenders Receive the Initial Treatment?
88% Received Treatment
12%
Long Term Residential
56%
Intensive Outpatient
12%
No Treatment
20%
Intensive Inpatient
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

16. Did DOSA Offenders Complete the Initial Treatment?
75% Completed Treatment
12% No
Treatment
11%
Did Not
Complete
46%
Intensive Outpatient
Still in
Treatment 2%
10% Long Term Residential
19%
Intensive Inpatient
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

17. Type of Initial Treatment Received and Completed
WSIPP 2003

18. Average Treatment Time Span for Initial Treatment Mode
Intensive Inpatient
Intensive
Outpatient
Long-Term
Residential
WSIPP 2003
Treatment ended an average of four months prior to prison release.
N=1,653 receiving treatment

19. Stage of Addiction by Initial Treatment Mode
Intensive Outpatient
Intensive Inpatient
Long Term Residential
WSIPP 2003
N=1,653 receiving treatment

20. Did DOSA Offenders Receive Continuing Outpatient Treatment?
49% Received Treatment in the Community
34%
Community
37%
No Treatment
15%
Confinement
& Community
25%
Confinement
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

21. Did DOSA Offenders Complete Outpatient Treatment?
20% Community Completions
11%
Still in
Treatment
20%
Community
37%
Did Not Receive Treatment 4%
Confinement
29%
Did Not Complete
N=1,883
WSIPP 2003

22. DOSA Community Supervision
Stipulated Agreement Violations and Sanctions
28% of DOSA offenders had at least one stipulated agreement violation.
A DOC study currently underway has found that 17% of all offenders under DOC or OAA jurisdiction in FY01 had at least one stipulated agreement violation.
Supervision Violations and Sanctions
50% of DOSA offenders had at least one supervision violation for which they were found guilty.
A DOC study currently underway has found that 32% of all offenders under DOC or OAA jurisdiction in FY 01 were found guilty of a violation.
DOSA sentence revocations
19% of DOSA offenders had their sentences revoked.
6% DOSA offenders had their sentenced revoked due to a new felony offense.

23. DOSA Stipulated Agreement Violations
Unapproved
Movement
1% Escape
Treatment-related 5%
10%
49%
Alcohol/
Substance Use
35%
Failure to Pay/Report
Offenders: 508 (28%)
Violations: 2,111
WSIPP 2003

24. Stipulated Agreement Violation Sanctions
10%
Other
16%
DOC Programming
44%
Enhance
Supervision
27%
Outpatient
Treatment
Offenders: 508
Sanctions: 1,702
WSIPP 2003

25. DOSA Supervision Violations
Escape 6%
Unapproved Movement
11%
41%
Failure to Pay/Report
19%
Treatment-related
23%
Alcohol/
Substance
Offenders: 943 (50%)
Violations: 4,818
WSIPP 2003

26. Sanctions for Violations
Intensive In- or Out-patient
Treatment
10%
Other
20%
Confinement,
County Jail 5%
Increased
Reporting 4%
Day Reporting 7%
23%
Confinement,
DOC Facility
15% CD Evaluation/
Follow-up
15%
DOSA
Revocation
Offenders: 920 Sanctions: 2,463
WSIPP 2003

27. Comparing County Revocations and Violations
Supervision County
Number of DOSA Offenders
Percent of Offenders With at Least One Violation
Percent of Offenders With Revocation
King
768
53%
18%
Pierce
311
50%
20%
Spokane
136
59%
26%
Kitsap
108
45%
14%
Thurston 81
28%
11%
Snohomish 77
55%
25%
Cowlitz 50
32%
16%
Benton 45
33%
Grays Harbor 40
Clark 38
42%
Lewis 34
35%
Whatcom 33
64%
30%
Yakima 28
All Other Counties
116
48%
Total
1,865
19%
Bolded numbers indicate statistically significant differences; 18 missing.

28. DOSA Violations and Revocations by Community Outpatient Treatment Status
Completed Treatment
Did Not Complete
Did Not Receive
WSIPP 2003
N=1,883

29. Summary
Are DOSA offenders receiving and completing the initial treatment?
88 percent of all DOSA offenders receive the initial treatment.
75 percent of all DOSA offenders complete the initial treatment.
Are DOSA offenders receiving and completing continuing outpatient treatment in the community?
49% of all DOSA offenders receive outpatient treatment in the community.
20% of all DOSA offenders complete outpatient treatment in the community.

30. Summary (continued)
Are DOSA offenders held accountable for behavior that violates DOSA requirements?
Approximately 50% of DOSA offenders received a supervision violation.
Nearly 60% of all supervision violation sanctions involve confinement time; 20% of all supervision violation sanctions are treatment-related.
Violations and revocations vary slightly across counties, with a few significant differences.
King and Spokane have significantly higher violations, while Thurston and Cowlitz have significantly lower violations.
Spokane has significantly higher revocations.
Offenders who complete community outpatient treatment have the lowest violation and revocation rates.

31. Final DOSA Evaluation
In the final DOSA evaluation (due to the Legislature December 2004), a pre-post study design with a treatment and a comparison group will be used. The evaluation will address the following questions:
Did the new DOSA legislation change sentencing practices?
Are drug treatment services effective?
Does DOSA reduce criminal recidivism?
Does DOSA save state resources?