A new report concludes that addiction treatment programs have had little bottom-line impact on the state's prison system, partly because so few inmates actually get the services they need, the Des Moines Register reported June 13.

The report from the Iowa Department of Management found that more than 90 percent of inmates in state prisons have a history of alcohol or other drug problems, but 60 percent were released without getting any kind of addiction treatment while behind bars.

The Iowa Department of Corrections operates 15 licensed treatment programs that serve about 2,000 inmates annually. The report concluded that the programs "had little effect on prison population, operational cost savings, and overall crime reduction."

"Lack of treatment resources was one of the most pressing issues noted by managers, stakeholders and employees alike," the report said.

Researchers found that about 12 percent of those who did get treatment were convicted of new offenses within a year. Treatment programs in three prisons were found to lower the new-conviction rate and total recidivism. The report called for more continuing care and community support to bolster treatment after offenders are released.

Department of Corrections Director John Baldwin promised to address the problems highlighted in the report. He said evaluations of the prison treatment programs are in progress, with results due this fall, and that reentry coordinators are being hired at some of the state's busiest prisons.