Using Values to Enhance Inmates' Response to Substance Use and HIV Risk Feedback

A key component of effective offender treatment is an initial assessment of risk factors followed by feedback to facilitate problem awareness and engagement in appropriate treatment and/or behavior change. Feedback regarding areas of high risk, however, can be experienced as threatening. The investigators propose to develop, fine-tune, and pilot-test a computerized system for risk assessment and feedback, including evaluation of a brief pre-feedback prosocial values affirmation exercise (Cohen \& Sherman, 2014) aimed at decreasing defensiveness and increasing inmates' willingness to access and process risk-relevant information and to utilize post-release treatment resources, thereby reducing post-release substance misuse, HIV risk behavior, and criminal recidivism. Participants will be 170 jail inmates nearing release into the community - 20 pilot participants and 150 study participants randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) Values Affirmation + Personalized Risk Feedback; (2) Personalized Risk Feedback only; (3) Control. The baseline and risk assessment, values affirmation manipulation, and personalized risk feedback will be presented via touch-screen computers, requiring minimal training to administer. Analyses will assess: 1. The feasibility of utilizing a computerized system to assess and share risk information with jail inmates, including a brief values affirmation exercise to reduce defensiveness; 2. The acceptability of this approach from the perspectives of jail staff and inmates themselves; 3. The impact of the intervention on observed proximal outcomes (mechanisms of action), such as time spent viewing feedback, electing to print a copy of informational and treatment resources, and consequent changes in perceptions of risk, treatability, etc.; 4. The impact of the intervention on key post-release outcomes including engagement in relevant treatment services, substance misuse, HIV risk behaviors, re-offense and re-arrest; 5. The links between pr