severity, or had worse outcomes for other reasons unrelated to the screening process. Another plausible explanation is that the screening process may have benefitted the groups of offenders who completed it. Screening may have, for example, predisposed the low-risk, ‘not referred to treatment’ group to seek treatment services. The ‘not referred to treatment’ group received similar levels of treatment compared with the other groups (except 12-step attendance), despite their screening counselors’ determination that they had lower levels of alcohol and drug use problem severity. Perhaps the screening process helped them to realize a need for treatment, and motivated them to get help. There have been no randomized studies of the possible beneficial effects of screening. Such a study is greatly needed.
