Women prisoners with substance abuse problems, who are not enrolled in an aftercare program once they are released, are 10 times more likely to return to custody one year after release from prison, than women who participate in such a program, according to a new study. More than one-third of women who are not in an aftercare program return to prison within the first six months, Medical News Today reports.

The study looked at the Community Relapse Prevention and Maintenance program, developed by Correctional Services Canada, which was designed to better meet the needs of women offenders with substance abuse problems. In the American Journal of Public Health, the researchers say that “strategies that improve access to community aftercare are imperative for improving the life chances and health of these women.”