333
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, Vol. 39 No. 3, March 2012 333-344
DOI: 10.1177/0093854811433759
© 2012 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology
AUTHORS’ NOTE: Bryn Williams is now at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, UK. The
research was supported by the National Offender Management Service Cymru (Wales). Our thanks to Samantha
James, Karen Grove, Gemma Worgan, and staff of NOMS Cymru. All correspondence should be addressed to
Nicola Bowes, Psychology Department, School of Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff
CF5 2YB, UK; email: nbowes@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
TREATING ALCOHOL-RELATED VIOLENCE
Intermediate Outcomes in a Feasibility Study
for a Randomized Controlled Trial in Prisons
NICOLA BOWES
Cardiff Metropolitan University
MARY MCMURRAN
University of Nottingham
BRYN WILLIAMS
Cardiff Metropolitan University
SIRIOL DAVID
INGRID ZAMMIT
National Offender Management Service Cymru
There is a lack of outcome evidence for alcohol interventions for offenders whose crime is alcohol related. In this study, the
authors report the intermediate outcomes of a feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial of an alcohol-related violence
intervention. Control of Violence for Angry Impulsive Drinkers (COVAID) was tested with sentenced prisoners in the United
Kingdom. Participants were 115 adult men who were randomly allocated to COVAID or treatment as usual. Measures were
the Alcohol-Related Aggression Questionnaire (ARAQ), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), the Eysenck
Impulsivity, Venturesome, and Empathy Scale (IVE), and the Controlled Drinking Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSES). After the
intervention, participants allocated to COVAID reported significantly greater improvement on the ARAQ Alcohol-Aggression
subscale and all CDSES subscales. No significant differences were obtained for the STAXI-2 or the IVE. COVAID may have
the potential to fill a gap in treatment provision for offenders whose crimes of violence are alcohol related.
Keywords: alcohol; violence; treatment; prisoners; COVAID; randomized controlled trial
A
lcohol-related violence is an issue of major concern to society. Around half of all
crimes of violence are related to alcohol (Flatley, Kershaw, Smith, Chaplin, & Moon,
2010), and it is estimated that alcohol-related crime costs the economy of England and
Wales £7.3 billion each year (Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, 2004). Despite this knowl-
edge, alcohol interventions for offenders are seriously underprovided and underdeveloped.
Recent reports on alcohol services in U.K. prison and probation services present a picture
of significant lack of provision (Fitzpatrick & Thorne, 2010; HM Inspectorate of Prisons,
2010; McSweeney, Webster, Turnbull, & Duffy, 2009). In addition, both of these reports
comment on the lack of evidence-based alcohol interventions for offenders whose criminal
behavior is related to their use of alcohol. A recent rapid evidence assessment of interventions
at Cardiff University on February 10, 2016 cjb.sagepub.com Downloaded from