Civil Commitment for Addicts: The California Program
JOHN C. KRAMER M.D.1,
RICHARD A. BASS 2, , and
JOHN E. BERECOCHEA 3
1 Chief of research, California Rehabilitation Center, Corona, Calif. 91720
2 Assistant social research analyst, California Rehabilitation Center, Corona, Calif. 91720
3 Senior social research analyst, California Rehabilitation Center, Corona, Calif. 91720
The California civil commitment program for addicts has achieved a modest degree of success. On parole, one out of three outpatients remains in good standing at the end of one year and one out of six at the end of three years. The value of even this degree of success is tempered by the problems posed by repeated incarceration and the fact that the program has been largely an alternative to jail or prison.
