Inside Out: Program Integrity and Effectiveness of the Cognitive-Behavioural Program EQUIP for Incarcerated Youth

Studies on the effectiveness of correctional treatment have widely failed to assess program integrity. This study examined the program integrity of EQUIP in 34 treatment groups of incarcerated offenders, using a new multiaspect program integrity instrument (MIPIE). The first aim of our study was to assess the reliability and validity of the MIPIE. The second aim was to describe the practical application of the instrument as an integrity feedback tool. Results showed that a one factor solution for the program integrity aspects appeared most adequate and that the composite program integrity scale had good internal consistency. The inter-observer agreement was high. Further, there was significant agreement between observers and trainers in terms of correlations, but trainers reported significantly higher program integrity levels. EQUIP was implemented with diverse integrity levels, with higher levels for USA and program developer sites. The MIPIE is able to provide detailed feedback to improve program implementation.